Something was happening. Jesus, who many were ready to crown as king, was entering into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. Traveling on the narrow road from Bethany carried hundreds, even thousands, of people coming to celebrate in the Holy City. Those with their eye riveted on Jesus watched everything that was happening. He rode a donkey into this great city, and the people responded with a grand welcome. In Luke there are no palm branches strewn in the path for their king. His account calls for something. They took the coats off their backs and spread them on the road. At the sight of this one who comes in the name of the Lord, the disciples sang out their praise content that all was well in heaven. They cheered with broad smiles.
A child comes into the living room wearing adult clothing, shoes many sizes too large, a coat that touches the floor, and a hat that covers both ears and eyes, and we smile. The child is rehearsing the dreams of a future larger than life.
Jesus was not playing dress-up; that would have required a king’s robe and a king’s crown and a king’s stallion. The people would have given him that and more, but instead, Jesus rode a lowly donkey. Jesus dressed down. In this processional entrance, he dramatized his complete devotion and utter dependence upon God. He would follow God’s lead into Jerusalem and give himself to God’s love for us. He would ride the donkey that had been untethered and brought to him for this moment. Little did they know their last hope depended upon him riding on a borrowed donkey; one that had never been ridden. If we had been there and had been captivated by Jesus, we would have mumbled and crumbled when the two sent by Jesus came back with this lowly beast. “Our Lord deserves much better!” We would have wanted something better for him. “Get Jesus a strong stallion instead; one that would make the kind of impression we really do want him to make.” We hold tenaciously and never let go of the premise that impression is everything.
But Jesus gave us something that is real. He came into Jerusalem as one with us; the depth of God’s love reaches down to where we are. Jesus told the disciples that he would die here. He accepted this reality with humble obedience. He rode in on the low mount as his testimony that God’s abundant love will not be stopped regardless of what the kingdom of our world will do.
I am reminded of Jacob’s final word of blessing to his sons when he took note of their achievements and their shortcomings, the deeds of their past and the prospects for their future (Genesis 49). Jacob offered a strong vision for his son, Judah (49:8-12). He declared that Judah would emerge as the leading tribe among his sons, a lion ready to devour his prey. Judah, Jacob said, would tie his donkey to the vine. Jacob on his death bed saw the vine of abundance, an image of such plenty and encouraged Judah that there were many riches to draw upon. Where is this lion, now when this One from the tribe of Judah is ready for his finest moment?
When he sent two of his disciples to untie the donkey and bring it to him, Jesus acted out his devotion to the abundance of God. “Those who seek God will never go wanting.” He has come into his own. Riding on the back of the donkey that has been tied waiting to be loosed, this son of Judah will be the lamb of God’s peace, the peace that we are to carry to the “ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). He rode this donkey as a sign of God’s provision. He rode on a donkey through the gate and into the streets of Jerusalem all the way up to the hill of sin and shame. The irony of the Christian message is that life will come from death, strength will be found from weakness.
God’s provisions are waiting to be untethered by our complete devotion and our utter dependence. Untie that which is bound. Loose your trust in God. Let go of whatever you hold onto that would keep you from relying upon God’s abundance.
So much of life is about learning to “let go.”
To let go:
- Does not mean to stop caring; it means I cannot do for someone else.
- Is not to cut myself off; it’s the realization I cannot control another.
- Is not to enable, but to allow learning from natural consequences.
- Is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands.
- Is not to try to change or blame another; it’s to make the most of myself.
- Is not to care for, but to care about.
- Is not to fix, but to be supportive.
- Is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being.
- Is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes but to allow others to affect their own destinies.
- Is not to be protective; it’s to permit another to face reality.
- Is not to deny, but to accept.
- Is not to nag, scold or argue, but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.
- Is not to adjust everything to my desires but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.
- Is not to criticize and regulate anybody but to try to become what I dream I can be.
- Is not to regret the past, but to grow and live for the future.
- Is to fear less, and love more.
When the two disciples, following Jesus’ instructions, began untying the donkey they had found tethered, the owners said, “What are you doing untying the donkey?” When you loose what is bound, people are bound to ask. They responded simply, “Our Master needs him.”
What does Jesus need from you? What would Jesus do with your life if you were to untether it and bring it to him? What abundance of God is tied to the vine waiting to be released and then depended upon? Untie that which binds you to your own limited provisions and understandings. Untether that which is tightly bound, and yet to be nurtured and developed. Loose the peace that passes all understanding. Untie all who are bound. “Set the burdened and bound ones free” (Luke 4:18).
Our Lord has need of our devotion and dependence. Christ will lead us to the paths that we should take. Pray and God will lead you to the place of serenity where the kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord. The Serenity Prayer was first given expression as part of a larger prayer by Reinhold Neihbuhr. He prayed:
God, grant me the courage to change the things I can,
accept the things I cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time,
accepting hardship as the pathway to peace.
Taking, as God did, this sinful world as it is,
and not as I would have it.
Trusting God will make all things right if
I surrender to God’s will.
And that in this world I may be reasonably happy,
and supremely happy with God forever in the next.
We pray: Loving God, let us be untethered from those things that bind us and brought to the love of Christ Jesus! Amen.