Grand Theft Donkey

Either way in Roman occupied Jerusalem the penalties for stealing something as valuable an important as a person's mode of transportation we're very stiff. People could be scourged or even in some cases put to death for stealing a person's horse or donkey.

That’s the background, so back to the event we read about in scripture- pretend for a moment you are a 1st century resident of Jerusalem. You're out mowing your lawn or maybe doing a minor repair on your fence and you see a couple of sketchy looking guys, obviously from Galilee looking at your neighbors one and only donkey.

You watch these guys walk up to the donkey, untie it, and start walking away with it.

Being the good neighbor you are, you yell over your fence at them and ask them what they're doing.

“Hey, what do you think you are doing?”

You hear a Galilean accent that says “The Lord needs it and will send it back”

That brings us to our first point this morning, that phrase-

II. The Lord Needs it and will send it back

In the scripture we started out with this morning we saw that the people around the owner of this donkey's house are the ones who questioned the disciples about taking it. In other accounts it's the owner directly questioning the disciples.

Either way think about this for a moment- if this was you would you have the faith to trust the word of some guys who claimed to be followers of God that this was indeed the Lord's will.

This donkey is your one and only means of transportation.

The donkey might help its owner with a plow, or turn a millwheel, or pull a cart in the fields.

Many times, these work animals were also a beloved member of the family much like a dog or a cat would be today.

It could also be that the owner just bought this donkey after working for years to save up the money (2-3 months’ salary), and now he is being asked to give it up.

Ultimately, this story of grand theft donkey is a precursor to that which is about to follow.

Think about this-

This is the beginning of Passion Week- the slow, inexorable walk of Jesus toward the cross.

This is a direct foreshadowing of what God was about to do for us.

So, when you think that maybe God was being a little unreasonable asking to borrow this man’s donkey, consider what God was about to do-

Roman’s 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

God was giving Jesus for us- his most valuable possession to save those in willful rebellion against HIM.

In fact, this donkey filled a vital part of messianic prophecy-

Zech 9:9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

This is why they gave Jesus the hero’s parade- the people were very familiar with that scripture and they thought He was an earthly king coming to do earthly things.

They missed the other prophecies that said the Messiah was a suffering servant, beaten and bruised for our sin, and crushed for our rebellion. Jesus took the punishment that we deserved, so that we could become righteous- without spot, blemish in God’s sight.