Zechariah 9:9-12
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you;
triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
and he shall command peace to the nations;
his dominion shall be from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
today I declare that I will restore to you double.
See, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey…
I’m a devotee of all things Tudor. When we were in London last month, I dragged Dave through the Tudor exhibit in the National Portrait Gallery, introducing him to each person as if they were my friends. Considering all the historical novels I’ve read about them, they actually have become my friends.
King Henry VIII was a monstrous, spoiled, narcissistic despot, who is not to be emulated. But before he became the archvillain of the Tudor story, he was the second son of Henry VII, and therefore was raised in relative obscurity. Before he became drunk with his own power, Henry was an accomplished musician, theologian, and sportsman. Sadly, his lack of preparation for the role of King, which he was thrust into upon his brother’s death, took its toll on an entire nation.
Today’s passage, from Zechariah, is traditionally read on Palm Sunday because of the reference to a king riding on a donkey. It is also, however, a text that has much to teach us about life under the reign of a king.
In antiquity, the quality of everyone’s life was determined by the benevolence or cruelty of the reigning monarch. That’s why Zechariah’s call to rejoice over a triumphant and victorious king who is also humble and riding on a donkey would have been immediately understood by his listeners. Our victorious and triumphant king is wise and powerful enough to conquer our enemies and win our freedom. This triumphant king rides into the city on a donkey to show us that he is one of us – one who will never exploit or harm us. This is the kind of king that Messiah will be when he comes!
And we now know that he has come and lived among us. Jesus, the triumphant King of Kings has won the victory over Sin and death once and for all time. AND he is humble and meek because his power is made perfect, not in military might or imposing stature, but in love.
Prayer: Lord Jesus: Guide us all in the way of love. AMEN