Three Donkeys

November 27, 2016
Advent 1A


GOSPEL LESSON: Matthew 21:1–11 [The king enters the holy city.]
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, and 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 others 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!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Today is the First Sunday in Advent. This is the four-week season when we prepare for Christmas. Christmas is when we celebrate that Christ, the Eternal Son of God, was born into our world. We celebrate that God came into the world and still comes into our hearts and lives. This is what gives peace and joy and love to Advent and Christmas.

Today’s Gospel reading is the traditional reading for the First Sunday in Advent. It is the story of Jesus coming into Jerusalem seated on a donkey. On the Sunday before Easter, on Palm Sunday Jesus came to Jerusalem, at Christmas he came to Bethlehem, and today he comes to our church and into our hearts.

On Palm Sunday people sang. They said, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!” At Christmas there was the song of the Angels, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” And when Christ comes into our hearts, we too sing. Depending on the season and the occasion, there are many songs and hymns that welcome Jesus into our lives. “Joy to the world, the Lord has come.” “Oh come, Oh come Emmanuel.” “Come, Holy Ghost, Creator Blest.” “I come, O Savior, to thy table.”

On Palm Sunday the road where Jesus came was spread with leafy palm branches, and people even spread their cloaks. It was like spreading out the red carpet. At his birth, fresh hay was spread in the manger for the newborn Christchild. As our Christmas decorations we use evergreens and poinsettias to greet Jesus.

Although Jesus was greeted with “Hosanna” when he entered Jerusalem on Sunday, by Friday the crowd was crying “Crucify him!” Although the Angles greeted him with song, when King Herod heard about his birth he tried to kill him. Although we greet Jesus into our lives at Baptism and Holy Communion, the world around us is hostile to Christ and any interference by God in their lives. When we sin, it is like we are trying to push Jesus out of our lives, it is like we are joining the world around us and joining the crowds of Good Friday.

Jesus entered Jerusalem in order to be our Savior by dying on the cross to forgive our sin. The Christmas Angel told the Shepherds, “Today in the City of David a Savior has been born who is Christ the Lord.” And the name “Jesus” means “The Lord Saves.” When Jesus comes into our hearts, it is to be our savior. He saves us from our sin by forgiving that sin. We Christians struggle our whole lives between sin and forgiveness. But what the Bible teaches plainly is that the forgiveness of God is greater than any of our sin. If that were not so we could not celebrate Advent and Christmas and Easter and Pentecost nor the Reformation either. And so the purpose of Jesus coming at Palm Sunday and Christmas are the same: it is in order to come into our hearts and lives.

And finally, there is one more common point that I want to meditate on today: the three donkeys.

Jesus rode into Jerusalem seated on a donkey. His entrance became a parade. People saw him, and they saw what Jesus was like. He was not a proud king or warrior coming home after a victorious battle riding on a great white horse. Nor was he an invading general coming to conquer Jerusalem. He was not a threat, he was no danger. As Zechariah 9:9 says, “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” Jesus is humble and like that “beast of burden,” Jesus has a burden. His burden is our sin and the pain and the suffering of the world. At the end of the week he would change the donkey for the cross. And on that cross hung the burden of the world. Then on the third day, in his resurrection, the burden had been removed, our sin was forgiven. And in that we are free.

According to tradition, Mary rode a donkey as she traveled to Bethlehem. The donkey carried Mary and Mary carried Jesus in her womb. Mary was humble and laid her Child in the manger. There was no parade that day, but there were those who came to visit Jesus: the Angels, the Shepherds, and the Wisemen. When King Herod said he wanted to visit Jesus, but sent his soldiers to kill him in stead, Mary and Jesus again rode the donkey to safety in Egypt.

And today, Jesus is being carried by various donkeys. We carry him in our hearts, the Gospel message is carried like donkeys by people who talk and teach and preach about Jesus. Yes, we are donkeys for Christ. Now in English, the word “donkey” can have about three meanings. It is the animal. It is people who are stubborn and foolish like the animal. And using a word that sounds the same as the animal, it is a part of the human body upon which we sit. I pray that we can all be humble servants of God who carry Jesus in our hearts and carry him to others. I pray that the stubborn streak that we all have will be useful to keep us steadfast and faithful in our Baptism promise. I pray that we can all get off our chairs and be useful servants of God.

On Palm Sunday, perhaps the donkey thought that she was the center of attention and that people were singing “hosanna” to her. Perhaps the Bethlehem donkey was hungry after the long journey and wanted to kick the Baby out of the manger so that she could eat the nice fresh hay. Perhaps we are so busy with church and Christmas and decorations that we forget What and Who is important. But all of us donkeys, even if sometimes we are stubborn and lazy animals, God not only loves us but he needs us. 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.” Jesus needs us and we have been sent to carry him to those who have burdens of sin and problems that need to be taken to Jesus for relief and for forgiveness.

Finally, donkeys are not known to have sweet singing voices. But we sing our best “Hosannas and Hallelujahs” to welcome our King.

Amen.

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church


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