Tuesday, March 19, Lent, Day 30
The quote reads:
I will dismantle Ephraim’s chariots,
retire the warhorses from Jerusalem,
send home the archers to their families in peace.
He will make peace with the nations;
His sovereignty will extend from coast to coast,
from the Euphrates River to the limits of the earth.
Zechariah 9:10
Palm Sunday is a few days away now, and the verse before this one is foretelling that day when Jesus came riding into Jerusalem, lowly, on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. This posture, riding on a small donkey was a signal to the people that he was coming as the king who had already won.
Then there is this verse that talks about dismantling the weapons of war and retiring warhorses because there will be peace from coast to coast, sea to sea, and from the river to the end of the earth.
Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem says this is already done. And yet, we still fight one another and jostle for space in lands that, one after another, peoples claim as their own. We need an end to all of that so that this verse may be true for everyone, everywhere. I am frustrated by the now and not yet, I wish we could speed the whole thing up to make it all NOW.
Let’s pray
May we dismantle all weapons of war
May the people who fight because those in power who believe it’s the only option, return to their homes
May there be peace with all nations as we remember that we are all humans
May Your sovereignty extend to cover all places, from sea to sea, from the river to the ends of the earth.
In short,
May your kin-dom come, on earth as it is in heaven.
Amen.