My father loves watching the GRIT channel. Do you know what that is? It’s a television channel dedicated to the Western genre: all Westerns all the time. Others in my Sunday School class also watch it. Here is a sample of the kinds of shows on that channel, showing this week:
The Lone Ranger
Zorro
Tombstone Territory
Bat Masterson
Tales of Wells Fargo
The Rifleman
Wagons West
The list goes on, but you get the gist of it now I am sure. Now, how many of these shows do you think have horses in them? The answer of course is all of them. I don’t think you can have a Western movie or television show without seeing a horse. It’s just not possible. Did everyone own a horse back then? I think people had horses in that time like people have cars now. Maybe everyone doesn’t have one but just about everyone not living in a huge city does. Why was there such a premium on horses? They weren’t indigenous to the Americas. They came over with the Europeans. I think the obvious answer is that horses were (and still are) extremely useful. they are big, fast, trainable, and can carry heavy loads or pull heavy wagons.
We (humanity) have used horses for a very long time. They have been used in warfare for about 6000 or so years, in one form or another. The Roman Empire used them quite a lot for war. Their cavalry was used for scouting, carrying messages, and battle. If your land was being attacked by Rome the first thing you would see from them would be horses.
Now imagine an army coming at you with men riding something else, like ostriches. It’s a funny scene right? What about donkeys? No, I can’t make myself see that. It just wouldn’t work for war. Donkeys aren’t built for that kind of thing. We use donkeys for carrying loads and some riding. They are also protectors of other animals. The donkey is in fact very dependable as a guard for other domesticated animals like sheep, cows, and goats. They can carry heavy loads up steep slopes. They are very social animals and have the largest brains of any domesticated equine.
But when a king would come into a city he would not be riding a donkey. No, he would be atop a horse in order to distinguish himself from everyone else watching. You have to look up to a man riding a horse. And horses would be a show of strength and wealth. A new king coming into a city would not ever be seen on a donkey.
Except the greatest king of all.
Matthew 21:1-11
21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 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. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5
“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.’”
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Jesus didn’t buy or rent this donkey. I believe this is meant to show us that money was not an issue. If Jesus wanted to come to Jerusalem on a horse he would have done so. Jesus specifically went after a donkey as his ride of choice. Jesus came for peace, not war. The donkey is a symbol of that. A useful, dependable, smart, protective animal, but not one made for war. The people didn’t understand that, and quite frankly we still don’t get it. Throughout history we see examples of God offering peace and humans not wanting it.
It is interesting to note that Jesus’ whole life on Earth is bookended by donkeys. The bible doesn’t actually say that Mary rode into Bethlehem on a donkey, but it does make a lot of sense. So there was a symbol of peace at the beginning, and peace at the end. Jesus has always had that as his message.
Be kind to each other.
Be nice.
Live a peaceful existence.
Think of others before yourself.
That is what Palm Sunday is all about.
God Bless