Reading: Grab your bible and read Mark 11:1-11

Reflection:

It is a good exercise to compare Jesusʼ triumphal entry into Jerusalem with Maryʼs Magnificat from yesterday. Both give a glimpse of the difference between Godʼs Reign and the power structures of our world. Where human empires dominate by force, Godʼs Reign wins over hearts. Where human empires boast of their power with grand displays, Godʼs Reign is humbly seen in hidden villages, in the lives of young girls, and on the backs of young donkeys. Where human empires take themselves way too seriously, Godʼs Reign is almost laughable in its strangeness and humility.

The truth that is revealed, though, in both of these stories is that Godʼs Reign has a way of spreading through people and nations. It has a way of resisting human force and overcoming, and it has a way of bringing the small things, the least and most insignificant people and creatures, into the centre of things.

Where do you see the humility and levity of Godʼs Reign at work in your life? What small things might God be wanting to shift to the centre of your world? What empires might God be seeking to overcome with love and grace?

Prayer:

They call you “King” Jesus, but the way your “Kingdom” appears is not like any other kingdom Iʼve ever seen. There is no pomp, no domination, no force, no boasting. There is just humility, simplicity and love. Teach me to embody the values of your Reign in my life, Jesus, and please undermine any places where the spirit of empire is being seen in me. Amen.