The prophet Zechariah certainly lived in a time of violence. He longed for a time when people would put away war horses and bows and live in peace. Peace had eluded the ancient Judeans. We find ourselves in a comparable situation, looking for a time of peace, yet surrounded by weapons of all sorts. Zechariah’s hope is repeated in the Gospels of Matthew and John: “Behold, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.”
This is familiar to us because of its connection to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Later, Jesus would suffer at the violent hands of violent men and violent weapons such as whips and rods for beatings. Back to Zechariah: His world, like ours, was filled with weapons designed to main, injure, and harm others. As then, there is a fascination with weapons designed to injure and harm others. When the Messiah comes such weapons will be taken away indicating God’s judgment against the misuse of weapons (Zechariah 9:9-10). This text reminds us of God’s desire that we end warfare and violence and stop spending so much on weapons of warfare. When the Messiah comes, will we be found working for peace or fostering violence and investing in weapons designed to injure, maim, and kill other human beings?
