Luke 19:28-34 The Importance of a Donkey
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: October 31, 2018 Luke 19:28-34
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.”
(Understanding the Text) The previous parable about the nobleman going to receive his kingdom was told in Jericho. Jesus stayed in Jericho for a while-at least overnight. He was walking down the streets of the city and stopped under Zacchaeus’ tree. He stayed with Zacchaeus while in Jericho. One reason was that Zacchaeus needed Him, but another reason might have been that Zacchaeus had the facilities and security to keep the crowds out.
I believe that Jesus made arrangements for the donkey to be there for Him. A friend of mine thinks it was a miraculous event. My logic is that if Jesus did not make arrangements, then they were stealing a donkey, and that does not fit in with His character. However, if He had made arrangements, then it was a gift. I thought before that it was probably arranged through Lazarus, Martha, and Mary because it was in the Bethany area, but now I think it might have been arranged through Zacchaeus. Jesus may have told him of the need for a colt. While they stayed in Jericho, Zacchaeus could have made arrangements for them. It was important to keep it secret from the Pharisees, so they arranged a signal phrase so that the man in charge of the transfer would know who to give it to. This sounds like secret code language, not like mystical “I have secret knowledge and can foresee the future” knowledge.
The SDA commentary makes a point that speaks against my logic that it was stealing if they just took the donkey. It says that this was the very first time in the scriptures that Jesus referred to Himself as /Kurios/ meaning Lord. Always before He spoke of Himself as the Son of man. “It may seem strange that Jesus did not instruct the two disciples to request the use of the animals rather than commander them. However, it should be remembered that upon this occasion Jesus assumed the role of King of Israel (see on v. 1). He made reference to Himself as Lord, implying that He had the power and authority to call upon the subjects of His kingdom for any property or services deemed essential. A king did not request property and services, as this would imply the right of the subject to decline the request. Therefore, His directions to take the two animals were fully in keeping with the role Jesus now assumed, and would be so understood by both the disciples and the owners of the beasts.” I see some merit to this idea, but part of it still does not ring true. Jesus never behaved like a worldly king who took for himself regardless of his subjects’ needs. He was serving us, not treating us as servants. I’ll have to think on this some more. Edersheim’s version of this makes more sense to me. “From the pilgrim-band which had accompanied Jesus from Galilee and Peraea, and preceded Him to Jerusalem, from the guests at the Sabbath-feast in Bethany, and from the people who had gone out to see both Jesus and Lazarus, the tidings of the proximity of Jesus and of His approaching arrival must have spread in the City. Perhaps that very morning some had come from Bethany, and told it in the Temple, among the festive bands – specially among his own Galileans, and generally in Jerusalem, that on that very day – in a few hours – Jesus might be expected to enter the City.” If the expectation had ridden so high and everyone who was passing by was declaring that Jesus was going to enter Jerusalem as king, then the men would have been happy to lend their donkey for such an historic occasion, but that still begs the question how did Jesus know the donkey would be there? Was it a direct message from the Father, or did He make arrangements, or was it just something that was known around that so-and-so had a donkey that would fit Jesus’ needs and which was stabled in Bethphage?
(Revelation of God) Jesus did not tell the twelve every detail of His plans. He showed that He could be secret when He said to His brothers that it was not time for Him to go up to Jerusalem letting them think that He would not go, and then He went up secretly. “Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” After saying this, he remained in Galilee. But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” (John 7:6-11). This translation actually makes it sound like Jesus was lying. I don’t believe that Jesus lied so I have to assume that there is either something wrong with the wording of the translation or Jesus truly was not planning to go up to the feast and then changed His mind after His brothers had left. There are problems with either assumption. However, my point for comparing this to today’s verses is that Jesus was capable of secrecy and had used it before. God has to work in secrecy and obscurity a lot in order to win this great controversy. I don’t know if that is God’s normal mode or simply what He is forced to do when battling His enemies. Anyway, secrecy is not wrong, so I’m not sure why my friend was so adamant that it had to be a miraculous knowing. To me just taking someone’s donkey would be worse than making secret arrangements so that the donkey would be there. I think his problem has to do with knowingly planning to fulfill a prophecy rather than just accidentally, or fortuitously, fulfilling it. However, I tend to think of the prophecies as guides that would tell Jesus what to do next when He was limited to human knowledge (though, of course, he had the indwelling of the Holy Spirit).
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is to not expect God to reveal all the details of His plans to me. I am like Jesus’ two disciples who were sent not knowing the arrangements or how the colt came to be where it was. They were told to follow mysterious directions and perform the act that they were sent to do. Teach me to listen to the Spirit’s guidance and perform the actions that You send me to do. I do not know how things came to be the way they are or how my actions will fit into the overall picture, so I simply need to trust You and follow Your directions. Help me to trust You.