Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

We’re only on day two of Holy Week, and things are already getting loud. Yesterday, Jesus upended our ideas of fairness with a story from the vineyard. Today, we see Him entering Jerusalem, and it’s no more “Mr. Nice Messiah.”

The King has come to shake up the entire system.

If you were living as a Jew during this particular Passover week in the first century, this is the part where you’d be expecting Jesus to make His political move. Riding into town with the energy of a conquering Savior, they’re hoping He’ll take down Rome and restore Israel’s greatness. They’re waving palm branches like revolutionary flags and shouting “Hosanna!” which literally means, “Save us now.”

And Jesus does ride in like a King… but He’s not on a warhorse.

He’s on a donkey.

That’s the first clue: Jesus is writing a different kind of story.

Instead of heading to Rome’s palace, Jesus goes straight for the temple (Israel’s spiritual center) and starts FLIPPING. TABLES. (21:12-13).

Why did He do this, though?

The religious elite had turned worship into a profit margin. People who came to pray were being taken advantage of, especially the poor. So, Jesus interrupts the commerce with chaos, quoting the prophet Isaiah: “My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you make it a den of robbers.”

That one moment says a whole lot. Jesus didn’t come to prop up the system; He came to confront it. Not just Rome’s politics (which is what everyone wanted), but Israel’s religion, too. The ones with the robes, titles, and positions of spiritual power? He’s coming for them, too.

By the time we get to Matthew 22, He’s telling parables that are basically Kingdom mic drops. In one, a king throws a wedding feast, and the guests who think they’re too important to show up are replaced by those who never thought they’d be invited. In another, He tells the religious leaders that the Kingdom will be taken away from them and given to a people producing its fruits (21:43).

In other words: Jesus didn’t come to meet our expectations. He came to subvert them.

And yet, isn’t it wild that He does all of this with quiet authority? I mean, think about it:

A donkey. Not a chariot.

Children shouting praise in the temple. Not soldiers marching in the streets.

Grace for the outsider. Sharp rebuke for the insider.

If we’re honest, many of us would rather have a Messiah who just fixes our circumstances. But Jesus is more interested in overturning what’s broken inside us.

So, the question today isn’t just, “What should Jesus overturn in our world,” but “What does Jesus need to overturn in me?”

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Holy Week Reflection:

Pause and Reflect

• What “comfortable” areas of your life might Jesus want to disrupt? Where is He inviting you to trade comfort for transformation?
  
• Take a moment to reflect on what Jesus’ humble approach on a donkey says to you about His character. How does this affect your understanding of what true power looks like?
  

Worship and Meditate

• Sit with Matthew 21:12-13 for a few minutes, then ask yourself: “What are the things in my life that need to be flipped? What have I allowed to take the place of true worship?”
  
• Write down a prayer of surrender, asking Jesus to help you see your own heart and surroundings the way He sees them.
  

Prayer

• “Jesus, I want to let go of my own expectations of what You should do in my life. Help me embrace the unexpected ways You bring change and transformation to my heart. I trust that Your way is good, even when it challenges my comfort. In Your name, amen.”
  

Take a Step

• Take 10 minutes today to physically rearrange a space you use daily (your desk, your car, your prayer space, etc.) As you do, pray: “Jesus, rearrange whatever You need to in my heart, too”. Let this small act become a symbol of your willingness to welcome His presence and authority in unexpected ways.