Don't Be a Donkey

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! – Matthew 21:9

As a little girl, I remember waving palm branches at church on Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter.  In the flurry of greenery, the service always felt so exciting and alive. Every year, I’d hear the story of Jesus coming into Jerusalem as people greeted him with shouts of praise, laying their coats and palm branches on the ground before Him.  I always wondered why He rode on a little donkey instead of a huge, royal white horse. 

Many years later while teaching Sunday school, I noticed that children were still fascinated with the donkey Jesus rode on Palm Sunday. I challenged a large group of elementary school kids to act out Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem.  When passing out roles in the play, more hands went up to be the donkey than any other part. 

I had thought that the boys would have wanted to be Jesus, and that most of the others would have wanted to be the onlookers, shouting “Hosanna!  Hosanna in the Highest!” at the top of their lungs. But no, most of them wanted to be donkeys.  So much so, that when they realized that there was only one in the story, they started making up other donkey roles.  There were suggestions to create a bunch of donkey friends to tag along.  Some wanted to change scripture to “Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a large herd of donkeys.” 

In their child-like exuberance to have the most fun, they made the donkey the most important part of the Palm Sunday story.  Jesus was just along for the ride. 

I’ve noticed, though that we, as adults, often do the very same thing.  How quickly we make other things and people more important than Jesus. 

·         Sports teams play games on Sunday mornings so we shout for our kids on the sidelines instead of singing praises to Jesus in church. 

·         Our days are over-stuffed with “To Dos,” so we stop reading our Bibles and stop spending quiet moments with Jesus. 

·         Life feels out of control, so we grab hold of everything we can get our hands on. We desperately attempt to rearrange pieces of our life to feel like we’re in control, all the while forgetting to pray to the One who really is in control.

·         Others shout for our attention.  In our quest to love, help, and serve them we often end up telling Jesus “Later.  I’ll have more time for You, later I’ll love You more and help Your world… later”

It’s hard.  I get it.  The world pulls at us to care more about the “donkeys” than Jesus. 

For when we do, our position, power, status, and salary are lifted up.  We are praised when we achieve greatness in the world’s eyes.  No one’s applauding for us when we wake up early to spend time with Jesus, pray to Him throughout our day, or give Him thanks and praise at 3pm.  No one, that is, except our audience of ONE.

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the crowds cheered loudly and called Him King.  He remained humble, however, knowing that He was only playing the part God had laid out for Him.  All that mattered to Him was obeying God. 

It should be the same for us.

What’s the next step of faith God is calling you to walk out?  How can you live for an audience of One?  Who are you trying to please above all else? 

Let today and this Palm Sunday Weekend be a Wake Up Call to praise Jesus and give Him the reigns of your life instead of to a “herd of donkeys”.  (or the other word for donkey is just fine too;)

We praise you Jesus, our King, who humbly rode a donkey right into God’s will for Your life on earth.  May we also have the courage to follow Your lead.  Amen.

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