Lent 6 (Palm Sunday)

Hi! You don’t know me. You’ve never heard my name. But you know my donkey. I’m sure you’ve heard of him. You know, the donkey that Jesus rode into Jerusalem with on that day He made his triumphal entry? Yeah, that donkey. Well, I was the guy with the donkey. I’m the guy who was living in Bethphage. The guy who was walking home from the market that day, only to see two men untying my young donkey and her mother.

I couldn’t believe I was getting ripped off! Bethphage had been such a quiet town. This was our first donkey-jacking! I ran and called out, “Why are you untying those donkeys? I remember it like it was yesterday: the two men called back, “The Lord needs them!”

That answer stopped me cold. Normally, I liked to keep my animals for myself. But for some reason, I couldn’t argue. Two guys I have never seen are taking my donkeys away. But the LORD needs them. They’re just plain old donkeys. But if the Lord needs them, well then, the Lord can have them! So I waved good bye! I never would’ve guessed that my generosity would be used for such a noble purpose! I never would’ve guessed that GOD was going to ride my humble donkey! But that day was a life-changing day for me.

I grabbed my family and friends, and we followed these men back to their little group. We saw them cover my donkey with their cloaks, and watched Jesus get on this young donkey that had never been ridden. We followed the crowd into Jerusalem, and helped make a road for the Lord with our cloaks and branches we cut from trees. And we really got into it – waving palm branches and shouting his praises at the top of our lungs. We wanted to let everyone know that someone important was coming to Jerusalem!

We hailed this man as a King! But not just a King. We called Him the Son of David! The Coming One! The Messiah! The Chosen, promised One who would come from the family of David! The One who was coming to save us! We shouted Hosanna! That means “please save us.” Please save us, Jesus! And save us He did.

We didn’t understand everything that day, but it turned out this was the man that God sent to save us! This was God’s own Son. Who loved us enough to come and ride my humble little donkey into a city where He knew He would suffer and die. On our behalf. Later that week, his journey into Jerusalem ended on a cross. Where He took my sins and yours, and let Himself be punished for them. Yes, He saved us alright. Sunday morning proved it! He walked out of his tomb! A conquering, victorious King! He had saved us! Everyone! You! And me. From that day on, I trusted He had made me right with God. And now I’m in heaven with Him!

Friends, I can’t tell you how honoured I am to have been given the chance to let Jesus use my donkey to take his Kingdom forward a few more steps. I know it was such a little thing. But just to have had the chance to serve our Lord in such a little way was a real honour for me. So what’s your donkey? What do you have to give to Him?

The Lord needs your donkey! Do you always give it to Him? Or do you sometimes hesitate in uncertainty and miss your chance? Do you ever know He wants something from you, but refuse to give it because you’re too selfish? Or have you given your little gift that carries Him to another place, but then wondered if your deed will make a difference in the long run?

All of us have a donkey. You and I each have something in our lives, which, if given back to God, could, like the donkey, move Jesus and his story further down the road. Maybe you can sing or hug or program a computer or do a craft or throw a party or coach a sport or write a cheque. Whatever it is you can do, that’s your donkey. And your donkey belongs to Him.

It really does belong to Him. Your gifts are his, just like my donkey was his. You see, in the language we spoke back then, when I asked his disciples why they were taking my donkey, they said, “Its Lord is in need.” Ancient law required us to render to the king any item or service he might request. When He made such a request, Jesus was claiming to be a king. Our possessions were really His! God might want to mount your donkey and enter another city, another nation, another heart! Will you let Him? Will you give it? Or will you hesitate? The Lord Needs Your Donkey! It belongs to Him and He wants to use it!

In heaven, I have gotten to meet a number of people who were given the chance to move the Lord’s message down the road in their own little ways. Donkey-givers. Common people whom God used to do uncommon things. There is Rahab, who sheltered some spies. The sailors who threw Jonah overboard. The widow that fed Elijah. The brothers who let Paul out of the city wall with a bucket. Mary, who washed her Lord’s feet with expensive perfume. Or Simon, who carried his cross for Him when He stumbled. There are also some you’ve never heard of…

There’s a 19th century Sunday School teacher from Boston named Kimball. He witnessed his faith to a shoe clerk named Moody. Dwight Moody became a famous evangelist who influenced Frederick Meyer to preach on college campuses. Meyer led Wilbur Chapman to the Lord. Chapman invited Billy Sunday to come to Charlotte, North Carolina to attend revival meetings. That brought Mordecai Hamm. Under Hamm's preaching, a young man named Billy Graham was led to faith in Jesus Christ. I am sure the Sunday School teacher in Boston had no idea what would happen from leading a shoe clerk to Christ. But just like me, he had a chance to help Jesus journey into another heart, so he gave his donkey.

There’s also a woman who lives in Hawaii. A old oriental woman. A woman of modest means. Works as a maid in a hotel. One evening a young minister named Max Lucado knocked on her door to invite her to a Christian gathering. She invited him in to show him what she was doing to share her faith in Jesus with her friends. She showed him a table covered with decoupage material. Glue. Paint. Wooden frames. Pieces of wood that were carved to look like an open wooden book. She explained that she couldn’t read, so she couldn’t teach. She had little income, so she couldn’t give money. But somewhere she had learned a craft and was now using it to introduce her faith to her friends. Her plan was simple. She took the wooden book and on one side pasted a Polaroid picture of her friend. On the other she put a Bible verse.

Her rationale? People love to see a picture of themselves. Most of her friends were simple folks with few wall decorations. Here was a way to hang a Bible verse on their wall where they would see it every day. Would something come of it? You never know. But God does! God uses tiny seeds to reap great harvests! It is on the back of donkeys He rides – not steeds or chariots – just simple donkeys.

You know what? I’ve been hearing that some of you are also pretty good donkey givers! I’ve already been hearing stories in heaven about you: sharing your faith with others on a train, bringing people to church with you, hanging a cross in your office, opening a Bible on your lunch break, inviting family and friends to your child’s baptism, coming early to set up chairs, having people over for dinner, talking without shame about your church and about your Lord, doing little acts of service that get noticed by others. Yes, the Lord has noticed these “little” things that you have been doing. You have no idea of how your “donkeys” will move Jesus and his message down the road! You have no idea how many people that one person you bring to church will one day reach with their witness!

But that still isn’t why you do it, is it? You give your donkey because the Lord needs it. Because it’s an honour to thank Him. You give your donkey because the Lord gave everything for us! What you and I give might cost us much, but what He gave cost more. I’m not in heaven today because I gave Him my donkey. I’m here because of where his donkey took Him. To the cross. Because of my sins. Where He took them away. And gave me eternal life!

So, What’s your donkey?? What is it that you have to give Him? A decoupage plaque? The gift of gab? The art of hospitality? A love for children? Each of you has something, which, if given back to God who gave it to you in the first place, could, like my donkey, move Jesus and his message further down the road! The Lord Needs Your Donkey! We can’t do much with our donkeys. But He can! So give them to Him!

Your little donkey, your little gift, could end up taking Jesus to thousands of people! But who knows? You have no way of knowing. Rahab didn’t. Simon didn’t. The Boston school teacher didn’t. I didn’t. No sower of small seeds can know the extent of his harvest. But don’t be surprised, if in heaven’s museum, next to Rahab’s straw and Paul’s bucket, you find a decoupaged book with a picture and a verse. And don’t be surprised, if when you get to heaven, you get mobbed by a bunch of joyous people who take your hand and say, “Thank you for letting the Lord use your little donkey!” Amen.

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