I’ve been thinking a lot about donkeys lately. I know. You wouldn’t be the first to call me quirky.
But, to continue the thought: donkeys are hardy, strong, low-maintenance creatures, and are able to thrive in many inhospitable climates and terrains. They are excellent pack animals, and even to this day, are used in many countries to transport people, essential goods and even armaments in environments that are inaccessible to modern vehicles.
Have you ever given any thought to how often donkeys are mentioned in the Bible?
In biblical times, modes of transportation were pretty much limited to foot, donkey, horse and camel. A donkey would probably equate to the modern-day minivan—that is, completely practical, utterly reliable, and absolutely devoid of glamour (no offense intended if you have one). To be sure, it would be a lot more difficult to make a grand entrance astride a donkey than it would be seated on a well-groomed white stallion (read: Mercedes).
Yet, isn’t it interesting that donkeys feature prominently in so many pivotal moments in Israel’s history? I’ve listed just a few below:
- Genesis 22:3 — Abraham loads up a donkey to lead his son Isaac to be sacrificed on Mount Moriah
- Genesis 42:26 — A herd of donkeys carries provisions for Jacob’s family from Egypt to avoid starvation, and participates in high drama with Joseph, ruler of Egypt.
- Numbers 22:28 — God allows a donkey to rebuke the disobedient prophet who eventually prevents the destruction of Israel.
- Judges 15:15 — Samson strikes down 1000 of Israel’s enemies with a donkey’s jawbone.
In one of the most significant events in world history, donkeys help Jesus fulfill a messianic prophecy on his triumphal entry to Jerusalem just prior to his crucifixion (Matthew 21:2).
The kings of the day rode on majestic horses adorned in ornate finery in order to invoke awe and strike fear into the hearts of the throngs. For the King of kings, God chose ordinary, workaday donkeys to lead a makeshift parade through crowds of forgotten nobodies in order to announce the impending redemption of mankind.
God loves the ordinary. Jesus’ parents were ordinary people of exceptional character. They lived in an ordinary town among ordinary townsfolk. Our savior lived in Nazareth for 30 years doing ordinary things, fulfilling ordinary duties, all the while preparing for his extraordinary ministry. He hand-selected 12 ordinary men to spread the good news throughout the world.
The Creator who spoke an extravagant and vast universe into being is undoubtedly capable of great splendor, and those who love him will one day see him in all his glory. But on this earth, he finds value in the things and the people that the world considers insignificant.
One reason for this must be because God shares his glory with no man. Not because he has a big ego, but because no man is worthy to share his glory; no man can wield great glory without being tainted by conceit.
Isaiah 42:8 “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols."
I was blessed enough to grow up around people of remarkable intelligence and ability. In my angst-ridden adolescent years, I rued the fact that I possessed no exemplary talents. However, in my walk with the Lord, I’ve come to realize that our level of skill, intelligence or accomplishment is irrelevant in regard to our relationship with him. He loves each of us infinitely, and bestows gifts to us as appropriate. Therefore, the silly comparisons we make among ourselves are truly pointless.
The first chapter of 1 Corinthians, verse 27 informs us that “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” He promises to strengthen us when we feel we are no more than a bruised reed or a smoldering wick (Matthew 12:20). Let us not forget that all of us, compared to Christ, are like “earthen vessels,” fragile and limited….and quite ordinary (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
It is only Christ in us that can be our hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).
I have come to deeply cherish the ordinary. The times when I have been in crisis I found myself longing for a return to normalcy, the familiar routine; and so I now understand the value of it. I lost my best friend, mentor, counselor, and mother to cancer when I was 18. I have often thought about what I would do if I had just one more day with her. The answer is simple. We would spend an ordinary day, in a beautiful place, laughing, talking, loving each other as we had during my first 18 years with her. You see, ordinary days are treasures, and we may not see how wonderful they are until we can no longer have them.
The Mad Hatter in Disney’s animated film, Alice in Wonderland, was indeed half a bubble off plumb, but I think he was on to something when he insisted we celebrate our “un-birthdays.” This holiday season, we should fully enjoy days of special importance. Let us also recognize that those ordinary days, when nothing noteworthy happens to distract us from God’s love and constant care, are equally precious.
Nina Kylstra. Member of the LifeWay body of Christ for 22 years. Wife of the lovable Eric Kylstra for 30 years. Life-long follower of Christ.