He came riding a donkey, distinguished and victorious; he came to proclaim peace, offering a universal hope to the nations (Zechariah 9:9-10). He called those who are weary and burdened in life, and promised them solace and rest (Matthew11:25-30).

Oracle of salvation

Unlike the other prophets before him who centered their hopes on a future Davidic messiah to restore Israel’s prosperity, Zechariah’s vision in the postexilic era was more universal and eschatological. The reconstruction of the temple had not rebuilt the broken spirit of the people; Judah had been without a king for almost 300 years; and the conquering armies of Alexander the Great made the future, at best tenuous. Zechariah’s hopes were not directed to just a new era for his people, but to a final period of judgment for all nations, ushered in by the Messiah.

The prophet’s words are addressed to the people of Jerusalem, with endearment referred to as “daughter Zion, daughter Jerusalem.” Whatever may be the circumstances of the time: Rejoice greatly! Shout for joy! It is more than just a word of good cheer for the desolate. Being heralded is the advent of the King, and such rejoicing rightly accompanies the epiphany of Yahweh as king, coming with His saving help. The people are to rejoice in the figure of their Messianic King.

A king on a donkey

In this messianic time, the future is already present. The King is coming in a victory march sans military ostentation. He is seated on a donkey, an ass, not a horse, for the Messiah comes not as a conquering warrior but in humility and in peace, which he shall proclaim to the nations. He shall, in fact, banish the chariot, the war machine, from Ephraim of the northern kingdom, and the horse as an instrument of war from Jerusalem in the southern kingdom of Judah. And the warrior’s bow shall also be no more in this rule of peace “from sea to sea,” in its worldwide dominion from “the river [Euphrates] to the ends of the earth.”

The king is righteous or just; having experienced God’s saving power, he is able to save others. He is meek and humble, because he has no reason to be proud. His victory is God’s gift to him. The disarmament in the future kingdom described above is God’s doing, and the peace he proclaims not only to Israel but to all peoples is God’s blessing.

Divine wisdom incarnate

Immediately following his castigation of the scribes, Pharisees and the inhabitants of the lake towns who rejected His teaching, Jesus contrasted His true followers from those who prided themselves for their cleverness and mastery of the law. In a prayer of thanksgiving,
Jesus savored his intimacy with God, the Lord of heaven and earth, as his Abba (father). He claims that only God can really know Him intimately and have experiential knowledge of Him, just as He alone really knows the Father and have an experiential knowledge of the Father. In this intimate reciprocity of personal knowledge, everything has been entrusted by the Father to the Son. And the Father is revealed by the Son only to whom He wishes, just as the Father is pleased to reveal His mysteries only to the childlike ones who are receptive, but not to the learned who are arrogant and self-sufficient.

Like an invitation to submit oneself to wisdom, Jesus extends to the weary an appeal to take His yoke, to accept the responsibilities He will lay on them, so that they can have rest. His yoke is easy in comparison to the burden the law had become. They are to learn from Him, who is meek and humble of heart, the One who, in the eyes of the world, is lowly and insignificant. By conforming themselves with Him as their model, they shall receive the blessing of rest in the wisdom of God.

Alálaong bagá, a human being before God needs to be humble and recognize the sovereignty of God. The messianic king depicted in the reading from Zechariah is humble amid His victory; peace is God’s gift. Jesus is meek and humble of heart; everything has been handed over to Him by His heavenly Father. His Abba is pleased to reveal His mysteries only to the little ones who are childlike in the awareness of their dependence on the Almighty. The true disciples of Jesus are called to be humble. It is God’s design that His primordial sacrament or most tangible manifestation in history is Jesus himself. He was a man of flesh and blood, who walked our earth, breathed its air and ate its fruits. He has touched and continues to touch the lives of others through his words and deeds. His very person has revealed God to us. He has incarnated to us unselfish love and unfailing compassion, passion for life and things human, commitment to peace and to the life-giving communion of all. To accept Jesus as the manifestation to us of the ever-gracious and merciful Lord requires faith, a faith that is no easier today than it was then. In grateful praise, we can only bow down and take His yoke upon us as we experience in Him God’s tender touch.  

For more of my reflections and works, visit my blogsite: http://alalaongbaga.multiply.com.

Editorial: A chair, a sweater—for the world?

THE situation of Cebu’s furniture industry, which has thrived for decades as a class unto itself in the global market, is one worth reviewing by those who make economic policy at the national and local government levels, and those who want to stay in business in these challenging times.

Outside the Box: The coming commodity-price collapse

The indirect consequence of the oil-price rise and the dollar-value drop is the largest increase in commodity prices since 1973. Commodities finished their best first-half year in 35 years. And what is unique about 1973?

About Town: Making every drop count

‘Water is not like oil. There is no substitute. If we continue to take it for granted, much of the earth is going to run short of water or food—or both.” This insight comes from a recent study made by the International Food Policy Research Institute and the International Water Management Institute entitled “Global Water Outlook to 2025: Averting an Impending Crisis.”

Tax Law for Business: More teeth in the administration of justice

Republic Act 9503, or “An Act enlarging the organizational structure of the Court of Tax Appeals, amending for the purpose certain sections of the law creating the Court of Tax Appeals and for other purposes,” was signed into law by the President on June 11.

Alálaong bagá: Learning from the meek and humble

He came riding a donkey, distinguished and victorious; he came to proclaim peace, offering a universal hope to the nations (Zechariah 9:9-10). He called those who are weary and burdened in life, and promised them solace and rest (Matthew11:25-30).

Inter Press Service: George W. Bush deserves Nobel Peace Prize

ROME—With Barack Obama likely to win the White House this November, George W. Bush has become more of a lame duck than other US presidents at the end of their terms. The unusually high turnout in the primary elections demonstrated the desire of the American populace to free itself from an administration that is already considered the worst in American history.

Reflections from the Mirror: Assassination threat ignored?

The announced claim of former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. that he was approached by someone who offered to kill the President is not only a queer incident, but also indicates that former VP Guingona must have considered the threat against the President as frivolous. Either that or the former Veep is irresponsible.