The Donkey
The Donkey
by GK Chesterton
When fishes flew and forests walked,
And figs grew upon thorn,
Some moment when the moon was blood,
Then surely I was born.
With monstrous head and sickening cry,
And ears like errant wings,
The devil’s walking parody
Of all four-footed things.
The tattered outlaw of the earth,
Of ancient, crooked will;
Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,
I keep my secret still.
Fools! For I also had my hour;
One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,
And palms before my feet.
Why does Jesus choose a donkey?
Jesus usually walks, as did most working people of first-century Judea. So, by riding a donkey into Jerusalem, Jesus is saying something.
I know two atheists who decided to disbelieve the entire Easter story on the basis that Jesus chose a donkey to fulfil a prophecy. But that isn’t the whole picture—we can even ask why the prophecy suggests a donkey in the first place.
The people say He is the King, the Messiah, the Saviour they have been waiting for, yet Jesus chooses this odd-looking, lowly creature of burden to ride upon. Still, they cheer and throw palm fronds in His path. Were they surprised to see Jesus on the donkey, or was it the donkey that helped identify Him as their Messiah, thanks to the prophecy?
A king would ride a horse or perhaps a chariot. Is this the first real indication that Jesus was not the Messiah the people were expecting? They were hoping to be saved from Roman occupation by a political Messiah, not a Messiah who sacrifices Himself for their eternal salvation.
Isn’t it often the way that God gives us what we need, rather than what we want?
The symbolism of the donkey is clear when we think about it. The donkey is a humble creature of service, as all disciples are called to be. Moreover, God chose the lowliest of situations to be incarnate as man—born in a stable, the (step)son of a carpenter, walking with fishermen, eating with sinners, riding a donkey, and dying with thieves.
It is the humble who are blessed in the Kingdom of God.
Maybe we are all supposed to be donkeys?
The donkey, in his ‘fierce hour’ of noise and glory, tells us everything we need to know about the Messiah without saying a thing. Yet, isn’t it wonderful to finally hear his voice in the poem?
For an insightful reflection about the donkey, please watch this video from Ascension Press:
The Spiritual & Biblical Significance of Donkeys - VIDEO Ascension Press Media
Source: Palm Sunday
This Sunday