“The Donkey that Thought it was a Horse”
Luke 19:28-39
Everybody remembers that day!
It was a joyful and glorious day.
It was a time of excitement, optimism, and renewed national pride for the Israelites.
What started with a handful of disciples offering their praise to God turned into a citywide celebration!!!
And if we think about it, we can appreciate why.
After all, the people of Jerusalem had been waiting for something like this for a long time!!!
Their hope was that Jesus would launch a revolution against the Romans and free the Holy city from Roman occupation.
Still, if the truth be told, all of their hosannas couldn’t hide the fact that Jesus was not quite what they expected Him to be.
Most conquering Kings ride into town on a White Stallion—ready for war.
Jesus came on this little colt of a donkey that almost left His feet dragging on the ground.
Plus there was no sword in His hand nor any weapon attached to His saddle.
In fact, Jesus doesn’t even have a saddle, only someone’s old overcoat.
As we watch Jesus entering Jerusalem with friends and followers waving palms, not swords, we see into the heart of God.
And at least one thing is clear: Jesus doesn’t come to us on our terms.
Jesus comes on God’s terms.
Yet, He comes.
The people wanted a prophet, but this Prophet would tell them that their city was under God’s imminent judgment.
The people wanted a Messiah, but Jesus—the Messiah--was about to be enthroned on a horrible, bloody Cross.
The people wanted to be rescued from evil and oppression, and Jesus was going to rescue them from evil…
…but from evil in its fullest depths, not just the surface evil that they could see.
Those who believed in Christ would have their hearts changed inwardly not necessarily their outward situations.
The story of Jesus’ grand, but surprising entry into Jerusalem is a great lesson in the mismatch between our expectations and God’s answer!!!
The crowds wanted Jesus to conquer in the worldly way.
Jesus would conquer through serving, loving and laying down His life to save those who will believe.
The “Hosannas” of Palm Sunday were justified, but not for the reasons the people had supposed.
And to learn this lesson is to take huge steps towards wisdom and humility and genuine Christian faith!!!
Jesus comes as our King to bring salvation, but salvation means much more than relief from an oppressive government.
Jesus comes to free us from ourselves!!!
Jesus comes to free us from self-hatred and selfishness…
…from shame…
…from greed…
…from fear…
…from death…
…from our broken relationship with God where we humans are capable of terrible evil.
Jesus gives us Life and Life to the full.
But it is a life of humble service and love.
There is a story about a donkey that thought it was a horse.
One day, it was just hanging out in Bethany, minding its own business when two men came to it in urgent need.
“The Lord needs it,” it heard them say.
And as they brought it to Jesus, and threw their cloaks upon it and then put Jesus on it…
…well, its pride began to grow.
“Certainly, I am not just a donkey but a horse,” it began to think.
As the time went by and the crowds grew in intensity it thought:
“Certainly, I am not just a horse but a
grand steed!”
And then, people began throwing their cloaks upon the road in honor of this donkey.
“Yes, I am grand indeed!”
People in the crowd “began joyfully to praise God in loud voices...”
Yes, the donkey thought to itself, “I am wonderful indeed.”
And then, as soon as it had begun, the parade was over.
Jesus got down off the donkey, and the two men took it back to Bethany; tying it up again to the same old post.
No one, ever again, looked twice at
the donkey.
This got the donkey thinking, and thinking and thinking.
And as the donkey was thinking, God spoke to the donkey:
“You are not a horse but a donkey.
The hosannas’ were not for you, but for Jesus.
The palm branches were not for you, they were for the King of Kings.
You were used as an instrument in God’s great plan.
You did a great job!
Well, done!
You will be talked about for eternity.
Thank you for your service, but you are not a horse… …you are a donkey…
…and there is nothing wrong with being a donkey!”
Friends, as disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called, in a sense, to be God’s donkey!!!
We are called to be humble, to carry Christ the King into our community.
We have been created to be used for the grand purposes of God.
And there is no higher privilege.
There is no greater calling!!!
When the crowds cry “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord” and “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest” they say the right words, but they still miss the point.
They have all the notes and none of the music.
Knowing the truth is not the same thing as doing the truth.
What one social psychologist once said of college students is also true of the Kingdom of God: “It’s possible to make an A-Plus in a course on ethics and still flunk life.”
Perhaps you’ve seen the old bumper sticker: “Honk if you love Jesus.”
Well, I saw a better one.
It said, “Tithe if you love Jesus. Any fool can honk.”
Or it could say: “Serve if you love Jesus.”
“Humble yourself if you love Jesus.”
“Love your neighbor if you love Jesus.”
Everybody loves a parade.
Everybody loves to cheer.
But Palm Sunday reminds us that Jesus came with a choice.
We can stand and wave, join the crowds that cheered for Jesus on that day, and watch Him pass by.
Or we can follow Him and stand with Him at the Cross.
It’s easy to shout, but it’s harder to serve.
Someone once said, “Everybody wants to go to Rome to see where Saint Peter is buried, but nobody wants to live like him.”
Palm Sunday is a great day to think about what it really means to welcome Jesus into our hearts.
This world, this life is messed up.
Jesus has come to set it right.
We are capable of such greed, such indifference toward our fellow humans—such evil and selfishness.
When we make the decision to “step off the curb” and follow Jesus, we make the decision to die to this stuff and live for God.
And in doing so, we begin to march to a different destination.
And it is radical, indeed!
And it is the most fulfilling thing we can ever do.
Nothing else compares.
Jesus’ road is the only Way to true joy, true peace, and real Life!!!
God’s Son has come to die for us.
As Christ said, “No greater love has anyone than this, that he give his life for his friends.”
Then He says, “You are my friends if you do what I have commanded you.”
And what is this commandment?
“To love each other just as [Jesus] have loved [us].”
Jesus’ love looks like a Cross.
Jesus’ love gives oneself for the other.
Jesus’ love is not this world’s love.
Palm Sunday is a great time to become a follower of Jesus Christ.
There is no such thing as “spectator Christianity.”
What the people who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday didn’t realize was that God was offering them the opportunity to do something more than cheer.
God was inviting them to join God in doing something great--To die to self and live for God and others.
To be saved through faith in Christ, and make a positive difference with our lives.
This life doesn’t have to be a meaningless mess.
God desires to make something beautiful of our lives.
What an offer.
What an opportunity!!!
The choice is ours.
The invitation is here.
Will we follow Jesus to the Cross?
And then, will we carry Him humbly into our community?
