A Donkey Braying at Dawn
A Closing Devotional by Allison Milliron
It's 6am and in the distant back yard of the Zachary UMC parsonage a single donkey awakens the morning with song. Every. Single. Day. And we love him! “Our” donkey instinctively praises God at the break of day. He simply does what he was created to do. He is a daily reminder to me to be who I am called to be - a consistent worshiper in service to the Lord, faithfully carrying burdens and even carrying Christ in my bleating, braying song.
Here are a few Donkey Facts:
Prophecy Foretold about Jesus: Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
[This would have been a sight to see! Colts are energetic! see for yourself! https://youtu.be/tzo78AVnfR8
Prophecy Fulfilled: Matthew 21:1-8
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.
Donkeys at Christmas: When you read Jesus’ birth story in Luke, you might be surprised to discover there are no donkeys. Why do we include one in our Christmas nativity stories? Although it was not recorded in the Bible, it is still very likely that Mary rode a donkey. Bethlehem is about 90 miles from Nazareth, and it is very unlikely a pregnant woman would make that journey solely on foot. Horses were not always easy to come by, but donkeys were common service animals, so they could easily be borrowed if not owned. The prophecy in Zechariah of our King who would come riding a donkey is specifically referenced in Matthew’s gospel in Jesus’ Triumphal Entry at His Passion, however it can speak to Jesus’ entry into the world at His birth as well. It is assumed that Jesus rode a donkey while still in the womb, mere hours before his birth, symbolizing His lowly entry into our world, in addition to being placed in the manger.
The donkey’s presence in both of these key moments of Jesus’ life points to His humility and His bearing the heavy burden of our sin. As I prepare to move, my thoughts go to my penultimate moment with you at the Sight & Sound Theatre in Branson where together we experienced the melding of Jesus’ birth story with His death story in the song of Mary. It was profound and emotional. Mary’s love for both her infant son and her adult crucified son opened our hearts wide to the love & sacrifice of our Savior. Many of our youth and adults felt the love of Christ deeply in that moment. Experiencing the full scope of the Father’s love- the birth, the life, the death, and the resurrection of Christ- was powerful. Jesus humbly bore it all for the love of us all. And it requires a response from us.
If you have ever felt lacking in your usefulness to God, the donkey has another lesson to teach. It's interesting to note that there was nothing special about Jesus’ Triumphal Entry donkey - he was just available! And his simple service came with a reward - the donkey bears the sign of the cross on its back honoring his service to Jesus in carrying Him toward the cross.
When you remember me, I would hope you’d remember the symbolism embodied in the donkey. There has been nothing flashy about me - no typical youth pastor “coolness’’ of skinny jeans & goatee! I’ve simply been available like a donkey, carrying many burdens along with the sign of a scar on my back, and daily teaching the scriptures in a similar fashion to “our” donkey who sings loudly his truth every morning. It’s been an honor to carry you toward the cross in my prayers. I hope you will aspire to be like the donkey too & carry Christ loudly wherever He leads!
Here are a few Donkey Facts:
- Donkeys are loud! [Listen to our donkey: https://youtube.com/shorts/M1ZhwFTKOno?feature=share
- Donkeys are humble, sensitive, inquisitive, hard-working, and are beasts of burden who can carry large loads
- Donkeys are self-willed and stubborn. They do not allow others to goad them into situations in which they are uncomfortable. They move willingly when they feel safe.
- Both the lowly and kings rode donkeys (Solomon rode into the city on a mule when anointed King of Israel- 1 Kings 1:33; Abraham & Isaac rode a donkey to Mt. Moriah - Gen. 22:3; Moses’ wife and sons rode a donkey going back to Egypt - Ex. 4:20; Balaam’s donkey even talked! -Num. 22)
- There are over 85 donkey references in the Bible! Including a key moment foretold in Jesus’ life
Prophecy Foretold about Jesus: Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
[This would have been a sight to see! Colts are energetic! see for yourself! https://youtu.be/tzo78AVnfR8
Prophecy Fulfilled: Matthew 21:1-8
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.
Donkeys at Christmas: When you read Jesus’ birth story in Luke, you might be surprised to discover there are no donkeys. Why do we include one in our Christmas nativity stories? Although it was not recorded in the Bible, it is still very likely that Mary rode a donkey. Bethlehem is about 90 miles from Nazareth, and it is very unlikely a pregnant woman would make that journey solely on foot. Horses were not always easy to come by, but donkeys were common service animals, so they could easily be borrowed if not owned. The prophecy in Zechariah of our King who would come riding a donkey is specifically referenced in Matthew’s gospel in Jesus’ Triumphal Entry at His Passion, however it can speak to Jesus’ entry into the world at His birth as well. It is assumed that Jesus rode a donkey while still in the womb, mere hours before his birth, symbolizing His lowly entry into our world, in addition to being placed in the manger.
The donkey’s presence in both of these key moments of Jesus’ life points to His humility and His bearing the heavy burden of our sin. As I prepare to move, my thoughts go to my penultimate moment with you at the Sight & Sound Theatre in Branson where together we experienced the melding of Jesus’ birth story with His death story in the song of Mary. It was profound and emotional. Mary’s love for both her infant son and her adult crucified son opened our hearts wide to the love & sacrifice of our Savior. Many of our youth and adults felt the love of Christ deeply in that moment. Experiencing the full scope of the Father’s love- the birth, the life, the death, and the resurrection of Christ- was powerful. Jesus humbly bore it all for the love of us all. And it requires a response from us.
If you have ever felt lacking in your usefulness to God, the donkey has another lesson to teach. It's interesting to note that there was nothing special about Jesus’ Triumphal Entry donkey - he was just available! And his simple service came with a reward - the donkey bears the sign of the cross on its back honoring his service to Jesus in carrying Him toward the cross.
When you remember me, I would hope you’d remember the symbolism embodied in the donkey. There has been nothing flashy about me - no typical youth pastor “coolness’’ of skinny jeans & goatee! I’ve simply been available like a donkey, carrying many burdens along with the sign of a scar on my back, and daily teaching the scriptures in a similar fashion to “our” donkey who sings loudly his truth every morning. It’s been an honor to carry you toward the cross in my prayers. I hope you will aspire to be like the donkey too & carry Christ loudly wherever He leads!