The Way of the Donkey Person [Palm Sunday Edition]

... and unleashing the work of Love

Today is, in the Christian tradition, Palm Sunday, or – more accurately – Palm and Passion Sunday. Next Sunday is Easter, when Christians celebrate the resurrection.

While Easter is the highest of the Christian high holy days, a less-celebrated story about Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem deserves attention as we begin what we now call Holy Week.

This post is for everyone, and I especially hope that readers who identify as Christian will resonate with it. Or be challenged, maybe, in good way.

And I hope you’ll share this one.

Photo by Virginia Long on Unsplash

Now, about the donkey and the donkey person…

Here’s one of the four versions of this story about the energetic, exciting, intriguing –and frankly, kind of odd – beginning of the last week of the life of Jesus:

When Jesus had finished saying all this [teaching about justice, forgiveness, and generosity] he went on toward Jerusalem. As he was getting near Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples on ahead. He told them, “Go into the next village, where you will find a young donkey that has never been ridden. Untie the donkey and bring it here. If anyone asks why you are doing this, just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”

They went off and found everything just as Jesus had said. While they were untying the donkey, its owners asked, “Why are you doing that?”

They answered, “The Lord needs it.”

Then they led the donkey to Jesus. They put some of their clothes on its back and helped Jesus get on. And as he rode along, the people spread clothes on the road^[c] in front of him. When Jesus started down the Mount of Olives, his large crowd of disciples were happy and praised God because of all the miracles they had seen. They shouted,

“Blessed is the king who comes
in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven
and glory to God.”

Some Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, make your disciples stop shouting!”

But Jesus answered, “If they keep quiet, these stones will start shouting.”

~ Luke 19:28-40, Contemporary English Version of the Bible

11 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus^[a] sent two of his disciples ² and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. ³ If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” ⁴ And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. ⁵ And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” ⁶ And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. ⁷ And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. ⁸ And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. ⁹ And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! ¹⁰ Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

All four* of the Gospel writers report that Jesus entered the city on a donkey.

And while this clearly fulfilled the Hebrew prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, it was not the kind of entrance anyone would expect for a king.

Victorious kings usually entered a city on a war horse, not a donkey. Jesus, however, was not a typical king and his “kingdom” was never intended to be a typical kingdom. Kindom might be a more accurate word. Some people were expecting and hoping for a geo-political king who would restore Israel and end the Roman occupation. Some people wanted a conquering, strong, tough king – even though Jesus consistently taught that the Kingdom of God would be known by peace, justice, compassion, humility, service, and selfless love.

So Jesus rides into Jerusalem. On a donkey.

I’ve been thinking about that donkey. And about the person or the family who owned the donkey. Traditionally, on Palm Sunday, we focus on the crowd waving their palm branches and shouting - Hosanna! Hosanna! And the story has become so familiar that we might kind of miss just how significant – and how weird – it is that Jesus rode in on a donkey. And specifically on a young donkey – a colt – that had never been ridden before.

So today, I invite you to think with me about the donkey, and the donkey’s person.

The story tells us that Jesus sent two disciples to get the donkey. So that’s kind of curious, when you think about it. This itinerant teacher sends two men to your house to commandeer your … little donkey? I mean it’s one thing when a great ruler says, I need your fleet of strong horses! Or hand over the keys to the chariot! That’s what kings do. And intimidated people might respond to that and hand it over.

But – Bring me a little donkey that’s never had anyone on his back? Really? What kind of king asks for a donkey? Doesn’t that just seem a little – unkingly? Don’t kings have white stallions? Or royal jets? Or at least a fancy chariot or limo?

I’ve been trying to imagine the donkey’s person. Most likely a man, possibly a woman. And the scripture doesn’t tell us this person’s name, or their status or position, or what their family was like, or how they made a living. The story doesn’t even tell us if the donkey person knew Jesus.

But imagine how that person felt, and what they thought when two men showed up at the fence and said, “We’re here for your donkey.”

If I were the donkey person, I might be kind of skeptical and have lots of questions: Why MY donkey? On what authority? Are you bringing the donkey back – or am I losing an important asset today? Why should I hand over something of great value to this so-called messiah?

If I were the donkey person I might be a little suspicious: “Wait, what? Here comes Jesus – and he’s taking away my donkey?”

On the other hand…

On the other hand, if I were the donkey person, I might feel honored. Jesus has a pretty amazing reputation. He’s a rising influencer, before influencing is cool. He not only heals people, he brings dead people back to life. He not only walks on water, he can make a raging storm simmer right down. He not only nourishes people with bread and fish, he transforms their hearts with forgiveness and love. If I was the donkey person I might feel pretty proud – important even– Here comes Jesus – on my donkey!

Or…

If I were the donkey person, I might be intimidated, maybe even a little star-struck – and I might think, Oh, no, goodness, Jesus doesn’t want my little donkey! My donkey is still so young – he’s not even close to ready for someone like Jesus. He’s never even been ridden. If I was the donkey person, I think I might feel completely unworthy and inadequate. I might say, Here comes Jesus – I hope he chooses somebody else’s donkey!

But the scripture says the disciples came to this person, this home, and untied this donkey, and took it to Jesus, and he rode it through the gates of Jerusalem.

If I were the donkey person, I think I would’ve run ahead, and found a place to watch the procession, and I would’ve told everyone around me That’s my donkey! Here comes Jesus, and he’s riding on my donkey! And I’d probably get as excited as everyone else, and I’d be shouting Hosanna, Hosanna! – which means, “Save us!” And I’d probably get really caught up in all the excitement, and I’d be waving my palm branches like crazy. And we’d all be saying, Here comes Jesus! And he’s going to fix all the things that are broken and all the things that are wrong. He’s going to throw the Romans out and be our King. Here comes Jesus, to save the day!

Because, God knows, we want someone to show up and save the day. You know, single handedly, for all the rest of us.

And then, if I were the donkey person, I’d probably go home – kind of tired and full of adrenaline because That man, Jesus! - rode into Jerusalem on my donkey! And then the next day I’d probably go to work and people would say, Hey did you see Jesus yesterday? That was so cool! And I might say, Yeah, and did you see that donkey? That was my donkey! But they’d be talking about Jesus and not the donkey, and I’d understand that… but I’d still be kind of jazzed that Jesus rode on my donkey.

But I wonder where the donkey person was later in the week, and I wonder where I would have been.

Because on Friday, there was an execution.

The Roman authorities and the Temple leadership were threatened by the uncontrollable power of Love. Love that advocates for the marginalized and the oppressed, Love that practices mercy and justice, Love that feeds the hungry and cares for the sick and welcomes the refugee. Love that sees the “ordinary” people, the hard-working masses, people like the donkey person. Love that sets the table for everyone.

Turns out that that sort of Love is subversive. Turns out that people for whom power is the primary currency – both political and religious – don’t tolerate the way of Love.

We know, now, that that the celebratory entrance into Jerusalem on the back of the donkey led to a week like no other. We know that Jesus rode that donkey into the last week of his life: into a week that included a sacred meal, and the humble washing of feet, a time of deepest prayer in the garden of Gethsemane and then, in a moment of ultimate betrayal, an arrest. We know that Jesus endured humiliation and torture and then execution.

And so I wonder. If I were the donkey person…

Would I have looked the other way and said It’s none of my concern when Jesus carried his cross through the streets?

Would I have been part of the mob demanding a crucifixion?

Would I have wept at the cross?

Would I have wished that I’d not provided the donkey at all, or maybe even wondered if I’d contributed to the death of Jesus?

Here, now – 20 centuries later – we have the advantage of knowing what the donkey person couldn’t know.

And some of us believe that the way of Jesus is the way of Love and that the way of Love leads to life, but we also know that the path of Love doesn’t prevent or avoid pain and suffering. We know that the death of Jesus isn’t the defeat of Jesus, and that Love – in the end – prevails. Love endures. Love wins.

We know that, but we’re still – sometimes – kind of like the donkey person. Jesus, the incarnation of Love (in the Christian tradition) invites each us, in different times and different ways – to be part of the story. The living God comes to each of us and says, Let’s bring in the kingdom of God – and I need you to be part of it. I need your donkey – or whatever your most important resource is. I need your time, or your expertise, or your influence. I need your compassion, your deepest hopes, your wildest dreams. I need your heart.

Dear ones, what if we were more like the donkey person? Even when we don’t know how our story will end? Even if we don’t know where the path will lead? Even when we don’t think our donkey or our talent or our heart is up to it? Even when we think we’re not brave enough or smart enough or experienced enough or holy enough?

Dear ones, it’s time to be like the donkey person, and untie whatever it is that Love asks, and unleash all that power and possibility, all that wholeness and connection and unbridled Love.

It’s time. It’s time to use our voices, roll up our sleeves, embody compassion. It’s time to serve the meals or read to the kids or help at the clinic or make the phone calls. It’s time to make the art, beat the drum, sing the music, tell the stories. It’s time to wage hope. It’s time to unleash the Love.

It’s tempting to say I’m only one person or I can’t do anything that matters. I get it. What difference does my little one-donkey effort make? Well, who knows?

Can you imagine?

Can you imagine millions of us, when we all untie our one donkey and let Love run wild?

Can you imagine millions of us, tens of millions of us, unleashing our voices and our energy to stand up for justice, for mercy, for dignity, for goodness – for everyone?

Can you imagine unleashing the work of unbridled Love?

I hope you’ll share in the comments. Tell us how you’re unleashing Love, and where you’re being inspired!

¹ * Here are the other 3 accounts of this story:

11 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus^[a] sent two of his disciples ² and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. ³ If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” ⁴ And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. ⁵ And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” ⁶ And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. ⁷ And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. ⁸ And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. ⁹ And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! ¹⁰ Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

~Mark 11:1-1121

1.

When Jesus and his disciples came near Jerusalem, he went to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives and sent two of them on ahead. ² He told them, “Go into the next village, where you will at once find a donkey and her colt. Untie the two donkeys and bring them to me. ³ If anyone asks why you are doing this, just say, ‘The Lord^[a] needs them.’ He will at once let you have the donkeys.”

⁴ So God's promise came true, just as the prophet had said,

⁵ “Announce to the people
of Jerusalem:
‘Your king is coming to you!
He is humble
and rides on a donkey.
He comes on the colt
of a donkey.’ ”

⁶ The disciples left and did what Jesus had told them to do. ⁷ They brought the donkey and its colt and laid some clothes on their backs. Then Jesus got on.

⁸ Many people spread clothes in the road, while others put down branches^[b] which they had cut from trees. ⁹ Some people walked ahead of Jesus and others followed behind. They were all shouting,

“Hooray^[c] for the Son of David!^[d]
God bless the one who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Hooray for God
in heaven above!”

¹⁰ When Jesus came to Jerusalem, everyone in the city was excited and asked, “Who can this be?”

¹¹ The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

~ Matthew 21:1-11

¹² The next day a large crowd was in Jerusalem for Passover. When they heard that Jesus was coming for the festival, ¹³ they took palm branches and went out to greet him.^[a] They shouted,

“Hooray!^[b]
God bless the one who comes
in the name of the Lord!
God bless the King
of Israel!”

¹⁴ Jesus found a donkey and rode on it, just as the Scriptures say,

¹⁵ “People of Jerusalem,
don't be afraid!
Your King is now coming,
and he is riding
on a donkey.”

¹⁶ At first, Jesus' disciples did not understand. But after he had been given his glory,^[c] they remembered all this. Everything had happened exactly as the Scriptures said it would.

^17-18 A crowd had come to meet Jesus because they had seen him call Lazarus out of the tomb. They kept talking about him and this miracle.^{[d] 19} But the Pharisees said to each other, “There is nothing we can do! Everyone in the world is following Jesus.”

~John 12: 12-19