Scripture: Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, sickness Daughter Zion!
Shout, hospital Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and having salvation,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Thought for the Day: We’re headed toward Palm Sunday, the day in the Christian year when we celebrate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Jesus comes riding a donkey, an ancient symbol of peace that let the Romans know Jesus and his followers weren’t coming to incite a riot, but rather in peaceful protest of the Empire’s subjugation of the Jewish people and their territory.

It was customary for Pilate to enter Jerusalem on horseback—an ancient symbol of war, just before the annual Jewish Passover pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The Jewish inhabitants of Jerusalem would have also remembered their history: Alexander the Great rode into Jerusalem on his legendary (and by accounts extremely ginormous) warhorse, without resistance, over three centuries earlier.

As usual, Jesus turns everyone’s expectations on his or her heads. While the Roman and Jewish leaders accused him of aspiring to be king, at every opportunity Jesus reminds us he is a servant.

Prayer: The only thing holding us back from your peaceful world, Holy Love, is our own arrogance and greed. Remind us of Jesus’ humility, patience, and faith as you remake us all in Christ’s image of service. Amen.