Matthew 21:1-11 The Triumphal Entry
“Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”
Well, Jesus has had the disciples doing some strange things, but this latest order is unreal. It was crazy enough when Jesus had Peter go fishing to get the money for the temple tax, but now the disciples are supposed to find a donkey with her colt and bring them to Jesus. Moreover, if anybody questions them, the disciples are simply supposed to say “The Lord has need of them,” and the owner will hand over the animals.
Many of us know the story of Jesus entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, riding on a donkey. But consider the disciples. Here they are collecting someone’s donkeys and hoping they won’t be accused of theft. When Jesus sits on that donkey colt, the disciples are expecting him to be bucked off immediately, but instead, the colt calmly trots down the road and into Jerusalem.
Writing about the incident afterwards, Matthew, the former Jewish tax collector, quotes the Scripture: “All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” But while this event is happening, the disciples are obeying in fear and trembling. Only when the crowd begins to shout “Hosanna!” do the disciples breathe sighs of relief. Only when Jesus makes it all the way into Jerusalem do the disciples realize that they have had a part in fulfilling one of the important prophecies about the Messiah.
“So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
Hosanna in the highest!”
And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”
So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”
It’s a sad mistake to assume that all of God’s commandments are going to make perfect sense, for many times they do not. Years ago, we attended a church in a town that was about to have its first Spring Festival. Two weeks before the event, I was praying one morning when I felt God ordering for my husband and me to dress like clowns and to distribute “Jesus Loves You” balloons to the crowds at the festival. Amazingly enough, other church members were thrilled with the idea. Before we were through, the church sponsored a tent with entertainment, places to sit, and free cold water. Volunteers filled helium balloons and wrote “Jesus loves you” on them; then dressed as clowns, my husband and I went throughout the crowds carrying the balloons. My husband remained silent but pantomimed for people to accept the balloons while I wrote the names of those receiving them on the balloons. By the end of the day, we had distributed nearly 1,000 balloons, spreading the love of Jesus in the process.
When we were returning to Ghana in December 1992, we were unsure of what to do with the vehicle I had been driving. We learned that a fellow church member was in dire need of a vehicle to get to work. God prompted us to give that vehicle to our friend. Once our friend no longer needed the vehicle, he passed it on to someone else. We estimate that at least three different families were blessed by that vehicle. Had we sold the vehicle, we could have raised money to help return to Ghana; however, we trusted God to take care of us, and He did.
Think about the man who lent his donkeys to Jesus. For the rest of that man’s life, he could remember the day his donkey and its colt helped fulfill one of the important prophecies about the Messiah. He could be grateful that he did not hesitate but that he released the donkeys to the Lord.
Perhaps today God is urging you to step out and do something as silly as asking a stranger for the use of his donkeys. You aren’t sure if you are hearing God, and you really don’t want to look ridiculous. But go ahead. Take that step of faith, for when you do, God will bless you in ways you cannot even imagine.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to listen to You and to obey, even when we fear we might look silly. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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