Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:“Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!” (John 12:14-15)
In a world enamored with power, Jesus comes on a donkey. And not even a big donkey – a donkey’s colt.
It is not what the people wanted or expected. They had heard Jesus was coming. The stories of his power and ability to do amazing things had spread. And now Jesus was coming into Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. There were crowds of people from all around the empire – Jews who had traveled to be at the Temple for the festival.
Over the top of all of this was the fact that these people were oppressed. They were under Roman rule and their freedoms were restricted. Their king (Herod) was a puppet government who could do nothing without Roman approval. Taxation was high and all of it went to Rome for use in other places. These people were just a source of income for projects they would never see or use. They were hungry for change!
Jesus’ entry was seen as their chance. He had the following and the capacity to rise up, take charge and overthrow the Romans. This was their chance. Previous efforts to break free had failed. But there was something different about Jesus. Surely this time it would work!
It is into this that Jesus comes, not riding a big stallion with an entourage of soldiers. Instead he’s on a donkey, a small donkey at that, with a little band of people walking along side. Still, the people shout their praises.
What will follow over the next week is the result of Jesus saying “no” to what the people wanted. He understood that the grounding for all of this would be in the love of God that he embodied. It would not be accomplished by buying in to the notion that a worldly empire could ever be a valid substitute for working and living in God’s kingdom. His commitment was to being peaceful. His mission was to bring people together in a community grounded in love rather than dominance. If he had to die rather than give in to something other than that – he was willing to do so.
Jesus’ “no” to the world’s way of working cost him his life. Many of the same crowds that shouted “Hosanna!” on Sunday would cry out, “Crucify him!” on Friday. This is what the season of Lent is leading up to – a battle for what kind of Messiah would God provide and what kind of Messiah would the people accept. It is a battle that still rages within human hearts today. May the coming of Holy Week refocus and remind all of us to put our trust in God’s kingdom.
