Read: Luke 19:28-34

He set his face to go to Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51)

It had been a long journey for the disciples following Jesus. Ever since the whirlwind of events in Luke 9 his disciples had been waiting for Jesus to become Israel’s king. Instead, the ragtag little band wound their way through Samaria, trying to make sense of their master’s stories and confrontations, while dealing with their disappointed expectations.

With the capital just beyond the next hilltop, maybe the disciples finally dared to think, “This is it. Now Jesus is going to bust out the dissident politics, the blazing rhetoric, and start the radical revolution.” And it looked promising. Jesus sent some disciples up ahead to bring him “a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat” (v. 30). Based on the word used for “colt,” the disciples may not have been sure whether Jesus was looking for an unbroken stallion or some other four-legged animal.

So, likely with visions of trusty steeds and valiant warhorses dancing in their heads, they found a young donkey instead. Meanwhile, Jesus was heading for Jerusalem. His disciples thought they knew what it all meant. But there Jesus was walking through Samaria—encountering opposition without fighting back, reproaching the religious authorities, telling stories of grace, putting down the arrogant, playing with the children. As the week ahead would prove, Jesus’ disciples still weren’t getting it. Sometimes it’s the same with us.

Prayer:

Jesus Christ—teller of stories, friend of sinners—you are so often not what we expect. Thank you, though, for being what we most need. Amen.

https://woh.org/