Bible reading, commentary, with modern event link

One of the Bible readings for this Sunday, the fourteenth week of Ordinary Time, is Zechariah 9:9-10. Zenit has the Pontifical household preacher’s usual wonderful commentary:

http://www.zenit.org/article-23111?l=english

If you read it you will find that he touches on some of the very things I had so recently discussed about who is truly imaginative and able to comprehend the transcendent, and how it is often not those who consider themselves modern and full of knowledge.

But I was happy, even though it is a sad news event, to see how the reading from Zachariah could be shown to you as a very valuable example of how to honestly relate the words and prophecy of the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, to modern events. In this verse from Zachariah the arrival of the Messiah is prophesied:

From the Catholic Missal: First Reading
See, your king comes to you humbly.
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Zechariah

Thus says the Lord: Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem. See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, meek and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass. He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; the warrior’s bow shall be banished, and he shall proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Now, generations of preachers obviously focus on the primary message of this passage with correctness, which is the literal prophecy that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, will arrive riding on a humble colt of an ass, and on the broader message that the greatest King and holder of power who is true is humble in his demeanor, not proud. So those are the two messages that are correctly gleaned and discussed in many sermons.

I want to give you, though, an honest and accurate way to relate today’s Sunday reading to a real life event and thus learn how the scripture does indeed live on in many dimensions of human experience as the truth. I also hope this shows how people can be weaned from looking at every Bible passage for grist as a literal “prophecy” and rather as a truth that is demonstrated to be true time after time.

This past week a construction worker took the front loader caterpillar from his site and ran amok in Jerusalem, killing three innocent people by crushing them and injuring up to forty others. Despite the fact that he yelled “Allah, Akbar” (God is great) just before officials were able to stop and kill him, the continuing examination of his past indicates a drug addicted maladjusted individual. He has a criminal record, a problem with violence, including spousal abuse, and apparently was a drug addict.

The Bible reading warns that “your king,” the true king, will come to you “meek and riding on an ass,” who will banish “the chariot” “the horse” and “the warrior’s bow.” These three items are possessions of the mighty and powerful. The true king, “a just savior” will “proclaim peace” and “His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.”

Dear friends, I have often explained that drug addiction is the worship of a false idol and deludes the user into thinking he or she has special power. This man, who had a violent past either caused by or worsened by drug usage, seizes a “chariot,” a front loader caterpillar, and crushes innocent people, including a baby’s mother, in his snapped moment of rage. For a few moments of rage he has “the power” but it is the false power of the arrogant and inflated, and it is cut down on the spot by police, military and brave bystanders. This is a impressive real life example of how to ponder a Biblical readings and relate it to the real world. Only the humble Christ with his power is the eternal ruler, bringing peace and not power through violence. Those who possess “the chariot,” “the horse” and “the warrior’s bow” and who use them not for peace and justice but to oppress and murder, as this man did, are false, lacking humility and doing only damage in their time. For a few moments this man rode his “chariot” through the streets, just as the arrogant ancient aristocracy and warriors did, and all that was achieved is broken bodies, ruined lives and his demise. But those who recognize the humility of authentic power, the saving power of Christ, join into a dominion blessed by God that is based on justice for all eternity.

Who knows what that man would have been like had he not been a drug addict? Only God knows, in the fullness of his wisdom. But the drugs, the mental illness, the issues, or whatever provoked this rampage with the “chariot” trashed whatever humility he had, and humility is the key to authentic power and good judgment, the sign of the worthy king blessed by God.

So you can see that there is a real day to day demonstration of what is in the sacred words of the Bible without twisting and forcing passages into being: “Oh look, what does chariots really symbolize in real life? Is it prophecy about cars, trucks, trains, planes, UFO’s?” Did the Bible “foresee” this guy rampaging through Jerusalem? Of course not. But to those who are humble, alert and open minded, it is a way to make the Sunday reading illuminate a broader lesson in a modern day event. The poor people fleeing from this maniac could not help but be “impressed” with his power, for it overwhelmed cars, buses, crushing them and extinguishing human life. But this was not everlasting and real power. Likewise, modern people must not be blinded by those who seem to have the “chariots,” the “horses” and the “warrior’s bow” and assume that this gives them true might, power and wisdom. The Bible repeatedly teaches and with total accuracy that it is the truly humble (not the fake humility) that is a hallmark of the wise, the righteous and of ultimately, the true king and savior Jesus Christ.