Jesus and a Donkey

 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once." This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet saying, "Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'" The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and other cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest (Matthew 21:1-9, ESV)!"

The woman rubbed the back of her arm, bloody and bruised from a fall. Frustrated, she gave a look of disgust at the animal that refused to follow her commands. "They really are stubborn animals," she muttered under her breath. Returning the donkey to the barn where she had chosen to board her relatively new purchase, she openly chided him to the manager of the stable. With a smile on his face, and words of patience, he taught her a little about her boy, Carl.

"How long have you had him", he asked? "Just a few months", she replied. "He is as stubborn as their reputation, and doesn't seem to want me to ride him." The older gentlemen explained that it takes about a year of working with a donkey before they are ready to be ridden. And in that span of a year, they need time to get to know their owner so a relationship can be built in order for there to be success. "Donkeys are not so much stubborn as they have a strong sense of self-preservation," he added. Donkeys are great at reading people, and their training, though similar to horse training, can't be rushed. "Be patient with him, and give it time."

Friends—this information about donkeys was taken from research done on these animals. They are not a strange animal you can grab from a post, and hop on their back for a gentle ride down the road—but Jesus did just that. I've read this story often shared on Palm Sunday, never really taking in the miracle that happened on that donkey's back. And yet I have no doubt that it sensed Him as Creator. How privileged this donkey was to carry the King of kings on his back as He made His way into Jerusalem.

It's interesting that Jesus chose a lowly donkey—not a horse. That is, until we stop to think about His purpose. A horse is a creature that usually signifies war, while a donkey signifies peace. When we look at it that way, we know that Jesus is the only true Source of peace, so it was tremendously fitting that He came into the city on a donkey—not a horse. While the events ahead would look anything but peaceful, they were necessary to buy our own peace through His death and resurrection.

This story always touches my heart. At long last, people were praising Him as He entered the city, waving palm branches and laying their garments in the street. It almost seems He is finally embraced for the King He was, but this celebration lasted only one short week, and then the crowd would switch from praise to condemnation. This final ride held significance—it was fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, and it led Him to a place He would ultimately sacrifice His life for mine. As we look ahead this weekend to all we celebrate in Him—His death and resurrection, may we remember even this simple miracle at the beginning of the story when He climbed on the back of an untrained donkey. 

All creation will worship the LORD. Even the mountains and the trees. He made all things for His glory. "For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands (Isaiah 55:12, ESV). When we consider this, perhaps this simply donkey recognized the One he bore, and was honored to carry his Creator on his humble back. Perhaps he held his head a little higher as he carried the King of kings into the great city of Jerusalem. Just as this donkey was created for this specific purpose, you also have a purpose—while it may not seem as majestic as carrying our King, may we all be obedient to whatever He calls us to. 

Satan's Lies About Sex

     Maybe you've been here as a parent, and this same conversation played out in your own home. "Mom, he said the s-word!" Your mind likely goes to a 4-letter word- the magic number for bad words, it would seem. But on careful digging from your little one, the word turned out to be sex. That whispered word in my long ago childhood- unspoken by most, especially by the right people. And so we began childhood thinking sex bad, when in fact, if practiced God's way, is actually a beautiful good gift. 
     There likely isn't a subject with more books and articles than sex. Sex tips fill women's magazines. "What women really want", a hot topic in men's reading materials. Sex therapists. Sexual addiction. Pornography. Sex chat rooms. Prostitution. Human trafficking. Adultery. Fornication. Divorce. Abortion. Sexually transmitted diseases. There are so many by-products of unhealthy, ungodly sex. When we think of guidance for anything sexual, we likely don't think of the Bible, and yet God is the One who gave this gift to us. As the Creator of sex, He is the only One with answers to its purpose, and who it was created for. This is where our world gets so twisted in its view of all things sexual.
     We read in Genesis that God instituted marriage and then told Adam and Eve to be "fruitful and multiply". He gave Eve to Adam to be his wife, and from them would come the descendants of the world. But sex wasn't just for procreation, it was intended to be pleasurable between a man and his wife. Reading in the Song of Solomon, we follow the passionate love story of a married couple. It is a story that shows the amorous side of sex- not only to be fruitful and multiply, but to enjoy! Our culture likes to think sex is for the young, the beautiful, the powerful- but God says it's for a man and his wife, and it's private and holy. 
     Sex used in the wrong way hurts people. I believe this is one powerful reason God takes sexual immorality seriously. His gift of sex was never meant to hurt others. Earlier in this post, I listed some of the ways misused sex causes pain. Adultery and fornication are two ways that are highly prevalent in our society, causing hurt and devastation. As someone who has felt the sting of adultery, I can tell you the result is painful and far reaching. And as a 40-something year old woman, I could tell you many examples of broken hearts from young people who gave themselves away before marriage and suffered painful consequences. Sexual baggage is heavy and hard to carry, and finds its way into healthy relationships, wreaking havoc on them. I know of young women who have horrible emotional pain following an abortion, in an effort to hide their situation from their parents. These are just some examples of how sex outside of God's plan cause pain and heartache.
     When it comes to Microsoft, we would give Bill Gates words a lot of weight. He and Microsoft go together, and he would be considered an expert in this subject matter. And when it comes to sex, God is the expert. He created it, gave instruction on what and who it is for, and graciously gave it as a gift. There is no better authority than God on the subject of sex, and yet we listen far too often to the world's opinion on this topic. If you've been "doing it wrong", God is a God of second chances. I would invite you to investigate what His Word has to say on the subject, and talk to Him about your own thoughts and actions regarding sexual behavior and practices. While God is a God of love, He is also a God who gives us biblical principles He expects us to follow as Christians. Sex is beautiful, and it is a gift to enjoy within the confines of marriage. Don't buy Satan's lies about what sex is, and who it's for- because his lies are rooted in evil that will lead to pain and brokenness. God's ways will lead to joy and fulfillment, and sex- His way, is always, always worth the wait! 

Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Hebrews 13:4 (ESV)
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Genesis 2:24 (ESV)
But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. 1 Corinthians 7:2 (ESV)
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 1 Thessalonians 4:3 (ESV)

Dear heavenly Father, allow our thoughts of sex to be guided by Your Word. Help us to embrace Your principles, and to enjoy sex in the proper way. Remove negative baggage and Satan's lies, and help us to live in the freedom You meant for us in our marriages and relationships. In Your name, we pray Jesus, Amen!