I recently read some thoughts about the donkey that carried Jesus on His last trip into the city of Jerusalem and thought they were worth passing on. We hear so many sermons preached about the last days of Jesus leading up to the crucifixion, but nothing much about the little donkey that He rode. After all, who takes notice of a donkey? The very name suggests someone not sensible enough to take notice of!

The little donkey was standing behind its mother quietly minding its own business with no-one taking any notice of it. How often we stand behind others, keeping out of the limelight! But Jesus knew the donkey was there and He wanted to use it. Jesus knows exactly where we are, at any given time, and often we are in a place where He can use us.

But we have to be available. The little donkey could have pulled back on the rope that was put around its neck, and said “Not me! Take my mother!”, but it didn’t. It had never had anyone sit on it before, yet it didn’t buck or pull away when the coat was thrown over its back. It just quietly stepped forward, and when the weight of the Person was on its back, it went along as though it was quite used to doing this.

We have to be like the donkey, and be submissive, doing what the Master requires. Just look at what the donkey would have missed out on if it hadn’t gone along with the people  leading it!. No matter how much trouble it is, we always gain more than we lose when we have people over for a meal, or go to visit someone who can’t get out, or even just make a friendly telephone call.

Thirdly, the donkey was unafraid and at peace. Just think, he was straight in from the paddock, and here he was being led along a path with Someone sitting on his back and people all jostling around him waving palm leaves and making a lot of noise shouting out. It would be enough to make an older trained animal be afraid and try to get away. But not this donkey. We can remember the verses where David said, “I will trust and not be afraid” when we find ourselves in difficult situations doing what we know God wants us to do. Taking a devotional talk or speaking to a Youth Group when we aren’t used to it can be rather daunting, but if we commit it all to the Lord before hand we will be at peace and feel Him with us as we speak out for Him.

So remember the little donkey that carried the Lord Jesus into Jerusalem the next time you are asked to help out publicly in some way….be available, submissive and unafraid!