My Proudest Moment

Matthew 21

When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me.  If anyone says anything to you, just say this, “The Lord needs them.” And he will send them immediately.’ This took place to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,

‘Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
    humble, and mounted on a donkey,
        and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’

The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,

‘Hosanna to the Son of David!
    Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!’

This was indeed my proudest moment. I will always treasure the memory of this day. Yes, humble me, the one who never sought any attention from anyone, but was suddenly thrust into one of the defining moments of our faith.

It was, of course, totally unexpected, though, as I have learned, with God, we should expect the unexpected! I mean, I was just there, available for any task my master might choose, but essentially unemployed. How was I to know that as I waited, I had already been chosen for a role in the glory of God? How could I know? And again, I have learned that this is the way that our God works! I mean, isn’t it true that we are always the last to know of his plans?

When the two men approached and untied me, I had no time to think, no time to question who they were and what they wanted. I was totally surprised and unprepared, wanting to at least tell my daughter, who was patiently standing alongside me, that I was being taken to go off on some undefined mission.

Fortunately, my master did notice the strangers, and he did ask what they were doing, untying me. But, amazingly, their brief and nebulous answer seemed to satisfy him. And I was relieved that as long as he was allowing them to take me, he also allowed my daughter to join me in this mysterious adventure. But where were we going? And for what purpose?

Before answering these questions, let me interject something here. This may be more than you want to know, but I want to explain a few things about donkeys before going on. I mean, let’s face it, we donkeys are misunderstood and definitely under-appreciated! Can I hear an “amen?”

First of all, the term “donkey” is new, coming into use long after our time in the first century. You see, the original name for our species was later also used as the term for a part of human anatomy. Propriety prevents me from explaining further on this, but I just wanted you to know that “donkey” came much, much after, and for reasons which you now surely understand.

Second, despite what you’ve heard, we are not, by nature, stubborn. No, not stubborn at all.  You heard me! We’re just careful, observant to any potential threats to us or our offspring. So as a result, we may not move quite as readily as horses, which, in my opinion, are careless beasts who often find themselves exposed to dangers of all sorts.  Like horse-racing, for example. A very dangerous sport in my opinion. And have you ever heard the term “donkey racing?” I rest my case.

Donkeys are, pound for pound, stronger than most any beast of burden. I am proud of that fact, and am also proud to point out that some of us carry primitive markings on our backs, stripes of a sort. And do you know what those markings look like? For most of us, they come in the shape of a cross. Yes, a cross, and if you were around in the first century, you’d see them, both on my back and also on the back of my daughter.

And of course, we donkeys are work animals. We’re not known to be beautiful or attractive in any way. We earn our living honestly, by working hard and not complaining. Well, I admit we have been known to complain just a bit!

Now, back to my story. I was brought to the Mount of Olives, still wondering what this was all about. A small crowd had gathered around a man who seemed to be the focus of quite a bit of attention. My purpose, I learned, as he mounted me, was to carry this man. But only after his companions had covered my back with their cloaks. My daughter walked alongside.

Off we went, down the steep slope of the Mount of Olives. And if you’ve ever been to Jerusalem, you know that it is steep indeed! But of course, we donkeys are known to be sure-footed, so it was no problem for me.

As we approached the foot of the mount, I noticed a large crowd, expectantly awaiting the man atop me. They were happily chanting things like “Hosanna to the King” and “Hosanna to the Son of David.” And they were spreading garments and branches from the trees across the road we were following.  Palm branches too, which I understand has given this day its name, Palm Sunday.

Entry Into Jerusalem, Giotto, 1305

Who was this man? Was he important? I later learned his name, Jesus, sometimes called Jesus of Nazareth. And why was the crowd so excited to see him? Was he really the Son of David? A new king in the image of Israel’s most famous king?

You may be surprised to learn that I know quite a bit about the history of Israel. For example, I know that David, or King David as he is called, was a warrior king, a man who led armies against the enemies of Israel, and who expanded Israel’s territory at the expense of her neighbors. To this day, he is revered, and especially now, under Roman occupation, there is an expectation of a Messiah, a new King David who will defeat the hated Romans and drive them out.

Could this man, this Jesus, be that new King David? The crowd certainly seemed to expect it. They were literally screaming about welcoming the “Son of David” into the city. Expectations were running very high.

I’m just a poor, dumb animal, but even I could tell that this man did not come anywhere close to the image of David, the warrior king. I mean first of all, he carried no weapon, and from what I had heard, he had no experience in battle. I knew enough to know that he never called himself the Son of David and instead, he usually called himself the Son of Man. That meant that he considered himself to be a common man, a man of the people, not a fearless warrior, or a domineering king.

And he was dressed humbly, not in the robes of a warrior or a king. In fact, everything about him spoke of humility, including his rag-tag followers. Not exactly the retinue of a king! And I must add that he was humble enough to give a poor donkey a pat on the head and a kind word every so often, as I carried him into the city.

And then, of course, there was me. Yes, as proud as I am, I must admit that a warrior king would ride into the city astride a white horse, with a sword at his side. Instead, this Jesus entered the city on a lowly donkey, with her colt at his side.

Again, I’m just a poor dumb animal, but does this look like a Son of David? Someone who will rout out the despised occupiers from our country? I had to wonder how the people in the crowd could be so mistaken in their judgment of him. And I also wondered what they might do when they finally realized that this Jesus was not the warrior king they hoped for.

Well, I think you know what they did. It didn’t take long before they turned on him. And he never fought back, even when he was arrested, falsely, I might add, tortured and crucified. His humility knew no bounds, even forgiving his tormentors.

And yet. And yet in truth, Jesus was a king, after all. Just not the kind of king the people wanted or expected. But as I am sure that you know, he was raised from the dead and now sits in great glory at the right hand of our God. A king and more than a king!

What does it all mean? Well, being a humble animal myself, I can say with confidence that you can be a king in the eyes of God and still be humble. You don’t have to be a warrior and battle your enemies with great violence. And also, that you must be true to yourself, the creature that God made. Jesus was born to be a king, all right, but a king in God’s own eyes.

And me? Well, I was born to be a donkey: strong, careful, and of course, like Jesus, humble. And maybe, just maybe, I will admit to being a little bit stubborn!

And finally, what about you? Are you like me, available for a mission for God? Something unexpected? Are you just waiting to be untied? And if someone comes to untie you, will you go, even if you aren’t sure where? Will you allow yourself to be led by a stranger? And whatever the mission turns out to be, will you be true to your purpose, as I was true to my purpose as a humble donkey? Will you humbly glorify the King of Kings?