To Be Like a Donkey

Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold Your King is coming to You, Lowly, and mounted on a donkey, And on a colt, the foal of a pack animal.’

Matthew 21:5 (LSB)

Since antiquity, whenever great kings went to war and ordered their chariots prepared, their attendants knew—without a single word being spoken—that they were to provide the fastest, strongest, and most enduring horses at their disposal. And when they made a triumphal entry into a city, they rode the finest horse in their stables. No one would ever have dared to appear mounted upon a donkey; such an act would have constituted a sign of contempt toward royalty—an act that would have served to diminish the stature of the king himself.

In the eyes of men, donkeys held little value; even today, they are often regarded as the most humble of their kind. Yet, we discover in the Bible that a donkey that had never been ridden was specifically reserved for sacred service. Thus, we understand why Jesus sent His disciples to fetch a donkey—an animal waiting somewhere, set apart for His service. Imagine the scene: the King of Kings, mounted upon the back of a donkey to make His triumphal entry, even though He could have chosen the most magnificent mare of His time.

Let us go even further: a donkey bearing the King—the One who was about to conquer death and liberate God’s people from the bondage of sin—stood as a symbol of humility, inextricably linked to a glorious power that no one could ever defeat. Let us, therefore, be like that donkey, bearing the power of the Gospel to the gates of every city we enter. To be like a donkey is not to be rejected; It is, on the contrary, to show humility—to be imbued with love—so as to be able to bring into every heart the salvation that the King of Kings brought with Him, mounted upon the back of a donkey, during His triumphant entry.

May the grace and peace of God be with you.