Messiah Lord,

Why did you ride on a donkey to receive the praise of the crowd? Were you trying to tell them, to tell us, that your triumph was not a contest of strength, but a display of weakness?

While the armies of this earth display their strength by shedding blood, taking away the lives of their enemies, You – Yahweh Sabaoth, Lord of the Angel Armies – shed Your own blood and give Your life to Your enemies.

You’ve demonstrated your power to all the earth, and to me, yet I continue to treasure
revenge more than mercy,
anger more than shalom,
self-preservation more than sacrifice,
my strength more than Your weakness.

I’m afraid that I’m too much like Peter in his rashness, striking his enemies and then running from You. When I meet you in the garden with Judas and the mob, may my hands loosen their grip on my sword, that I might open them to receive your victory.

Amen.