Week 7

Fast from distraction and for the love of God

(This week we go through the passion narrative in Matthew)

When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,

“Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”

-Matthew 21:1-11

(please read through the passage 3 times using the practice of lectio divina)

Reflection

Rather than riding into the city on a warhorse with guards, the ancient equivalent of a limousine with a secret service escort, Jesus rides into the city on a donkey, something like a president riding into the city on a bike. Jesus is fulfilling the ancient prophecy from Zechariah 9:9 which says:

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.

In verse 9:10, Zechariah continues:

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.

So begins Jesus’ inauguration. Rooted in the “Constitution of the Kingdom” (the Sermon on the Mount), Jesus rejects violence as the way to conquer. In the days ahead, he will demonstrate both the cost of God’s way and God’s decisive vindication of his self-sacrificing love.

Action (Reflect)

Think back over the past week: Were you able to find a way of caring for creation? Is there any practice of creation care you’d like to continue doing?

Plan for this coming week: As we contemplate God’s love for us during Passion Week, we also want to respond with love toward God. Is there something you need to fast from in order to have a solid daily time with God? Can you give up news or email or checking your phone before having a daily devotional time?

Can you also find a way of fasting for something that deepens your relationship with God? Would you want to give yourself to a more focused practice of lectio divina on the daily scripture passage? Or to simply sit for ten minutes each day in silence to listen to God? On some days a longer scripture passage will be suggested in addition to the daily verses (especially later in the week). Choose to deepen a practice of loving devotion to God this week.