Lenten Devotion 2020: Make Room for the Underdog
Originally Published by San Francisco Theological Seminary
The “triumphant entry of Jesus!” Verses one through nine are constantly preached on, reenacted on Palm Sunday, and praised as a great depiction of Christ’s impact on society. What isn’t talked about as much are the following two verses, ten and eleven. In two verses, we see a splendid send-off challenged by the crowds of Jerusalem asking, “Who is this?” This question wasn’t asked with innocence, the tone was full of sarcasm and doubt as a man that was supposed to be a savior came riding in on a donkey covered with the cloaks of everyday people, some branches from trees placed before him, and an even smaller version of a donkey to carry his belongings. Jesus was clearly the underdog, not to be taken seriously.
Who is this? There is such a powerful lesson we can learn from Jesus in this moment. We need to make room for the underdog.
How many of us have walked into a space where everything about us is assumed and then used as justification to mistreat us? How many of us have chosen to ask who is this? instead of making room for someone new, someone that has incredible gifts to offer?
Jerusalem was too busy judging Jesus to see that he was the breath of fresh air they needed. But there’s beauty in how this text unfolds. The crowds that supported Jesus knew of his greatness and love so much that it wasn’t enough to simply believe in him, they wanted to be his support system. The crowds from Bethphage might not have known how Jerusalem was going to greet Jesus, but they wanted him to know he had a team supporting him. From their actions we can learn that it’s just as important for the underdog to have a support system especially when navigating places where they have to make room for ourselves.
As we meditate on being enlivened to action in our world, it’s important to remember the power in supporting and making space for society’s underdogs. Many times the dreams that we need to bring life into our communities are birthed by the people forced into the margins and dehumanized. Jesus was clearly a change-maker and also an underdog. He navigated the hard territory of being an underdog so that we wouldn't feel the need to continue devaluing and mistreating others. We shouldn't need to make someone the "underdog", instead we should be making room for them to be accepted and included. By supporting and making room for the underdog, we eliminate the need for such systems and labels that convince us that someone must be less than in order for someone else to be more.
So I encourage you this Lenten season to do two things: 1. Make room for the underdog in spaces you occupy. 2. Support them, uplift them, and be a part of the change that allows them to be valued in their full humanity.
