The Humble King

In The Avengers (directed by Joss Whedon [Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2012]), Loki terrorizes a crowd after having publicly killed a man. He demands that everyone kneel before him and honor him as their ruler. A valiant old man stands up and says, “Not to men like you.” This powerful moment shows the exact opposite of how Jesus shows up. He is the humble King riding on a donkey. The people can’t help but erupt in praise. When the leaders try to stop it, Jesus tells them that the rocks will cry out if the people don’t. We do need a King, but the King we need is Jesus. And the terms of his kingdom might be very different from what we expect. Serving him means relinquishing our expectations into his hands.