June 30th Reflection by Bill Lynch

Zechariah 9:9-12
Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!
   Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
Lo, your king comes to you;
   triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on a donkey,
   on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
   and the warhorse 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.

As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
   I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
   today I declare that I will restore to you double.

Reflection
The people of the day of this passage and many people of today place all of their hope in so many false ideas and people. People place their hope in the military might of a country. Sometimes people place their hope in the coming of someone who will take control and make things happen. A king of might and power of sorts, maybe this king could be the Messiah. The one to save us from all of our troubles and tribulations.

This passage ties together a messiah and a king and hope. It's not that our might and power dwell with our powerful armies and bombs and jets and ships. These may secure a portion of protection, but they won't save us. It's not that our might and power dwell with our leader of women, men and politicians towards a perfect government. It is that our might and power dwell with the one who comes through humble means and institutes everlasting and permanent change.

This passage must remind you of Palm Sunday. Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. Yes, kings rode donkeys. This is evident through other passages in the Bible. Kings rode donkeys. But kings also rode horses. When the king rode a horse, it was into battle. Jesus rode a donkey. Jesus didn't need a war horse to accomplish salvation. Jesus rode a donkey in humility to face suffering, pain and death.

It would seem the Jesus' death would be the end. It would seem at this point that all hope would dry up and we all would be prisoners of a waterless pit. No hope of Jesus survival and no hope of our survival without a powerful military savior.

But this is not what took place. Yes, Jesus suffered and died but Jesus also rose again. Jesus defeated death in resurrection. Jesus defeated death and we also died with him but thanks be to God, when Jesus rose again we too rose with him. Hope is restored.

It wasn't military might and power that saved us. It wasn't the iron fist of a ruler that saved us through determination. It was our humble Savior who rose from death that saved us. The pit is full of water. Our baptismal fonts overflow and trickle into eternity with this life giving water of hope and salvation and eternal life.

No longer need we place our hope in the power and might and war weapons of nations and rulers. No longer are we prisoners of this hope. Rather we are free in the hope of a humble yet much more powerful Savior that lives in eternity with the Father and the Spirit. That's hope! That's a real hope we can place our lives on! Thanks be to God!

Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkMapZB8qMk

Prayer
Jesus, you are my only hope... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen