Mark 11:1-11
The account of Jesus riding triumphantly into Jerusalem is recorded in three of the four gospels. I selected the passage in Mark because he gave a little more detail about the character the Lord led me to focus on: the donkey.
Jesus instructed His disciples to go to a specific house and look for a specific animal. He left nothing to the discretion of the disciples. This is the first lesson to all of us. God gives us specific instructions; we get into trouble when we “lean to our own understanding.”
The disciples are further informed that they will find the donkey tied up and that he belonged to someone else. Wow – how many of us, like the donkey, have people in our lives who like to control us? Or do you know individuals who get a “kick” out of commanding, manipulating or dominating others? This is not the way of God – He wants to be Lord of our lives.
The Scriptures spoke even more to me about this animal. Donkeys have a reputation for being stubborn and hard to control. Add to this, this animal had never been rode upon – talk about wild!! But there’s even more. The donkey was tied up and belonged to someone else. How many of us are, or have been, under the control of something that had us bound? We’re quick to name those vices: drugs, alcohol, nicotine, etc. But how about those other things that bind us: disobedience, gossip, bitterness, complaining, fear, doubt, unfaithfulness, anger, etc.? Those feelings and emotions can have us tied up and limit our freedom in God!
The disciples did as Jesus told them. They untied the animal and merely led him to Jesus. As a minister of the Gospel, I take comfort and I am encouraged in this. I am only assigned to lead people to Christ. I don’t have to “break” them, I am not called to ride them, and I am not anointed fight or struggle with them – just lead them to Jesus. The next time we see the donkey, he is carrying the Lord – what an honor!
My dear friend, it does not matter what your reputation is, who or what has controlled you; the Lord has need of you. Take courage and break loose from what has you bound. The Lord has an assignment that only you can fill! Yes, the Lord Himself HAS NEED OF YOU!!
I bless you in the name of the Lord,
Elder Eddie B Pruitte, Jr.