Have you ever wondered about the donkeys in the Bible?
Donkeys carry burdens, and so they do for Abraham, for the sons of Jacob, for Moses, and a number of others. Donkeys are ordinary, useful, domestic animals; but not significant.
Until Balaam, whose donkey was given the power to speak and rebuke his master, because the donkey saw what his master could not and saved his life only to receive a beating for doing so. (Num 22:21ff).
At Christmas we sing about a Little Donkey, although there is no donkey in the Bible accounts of Jesus’ birth. Maybe poetic license allows us to fill in some details as we imagine the reality for Mary and Joseph, but maybe we are better off simply letting Matthew and Luke direct our attention.
The only donkey mentioned in the Gospels is the young, never-before-ridden donkey that Jesus borrowed for Palm Sunday. A donkey without name or pedigree, who takes a supporting role (pun intended) in the prelude to the most significant week in history. Without the donkey, Jesus could have walked into Jerusalem, but that wasn’t the point. The insignificant beast of burden was a sign that “Your King is coming” (Zech 9:9).
Raymond