Bearing the Light Burden of Jesus
When they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once. This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, ‘Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'” (Matthew 21)
It was a great privilege to be the owner of the donkey as well as a great privilege to be the donkey that Jesus rode to Jerusalem on.
That donkey had begun the day belonging to one master and ended the day belonging to another master, Master Jesus. Two disciples came to the donkey and untied her.
St. Luke (Luke 19) is the one who tells us that the owner did ask, “What are you doing? Why are you untying this donkey?”
They simply said what Jesus told them to say, “The Lord has need of her.”
“The Lord needs her,” was enough of a response.
The donkey had belonged to one master, and then, with His Word and the sending out of the apostles to untie her, the donkey now belonged to Jesus.
The Lord needs her.
It’s funny to think of the Lord needing anything or anyone, but that donkey is written in His book. He needs her and her former master, for they will participate in fulfilling the Lord’s purposes.
That donkey is there, tied up at that particular spot, on that particular Sunday so that the prophecy might be fulfilled from Zechariah,
Say to the Daughter of Zion, “Behold, your King is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.
She will be the beast of burden He will ride on into Jerusalem with crowds waving branches from trees in their hands and laying their coats on the road He went on, shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
He will ride on her to the city that He will be suffer, died, and be buried and on the third day, rise from the dead in.
She bears Him who bears the sin of the whole world.
Ride on King Jesus!
If you look at most donkeys from the top view, you will see one stripe of darker hair beginning at the top of the head and going down the back and another stripe going across from one shoulder blade to another.
It’s a cross, of course.
The legend goes that donkeys didn’t have this until that one donkey had the Son of God ride on her into Jerusalem.
Whether donkeys were created that way from the beginning knowing the Son of God would ride on one to the place He would die on a cross or the Lord imprinted His image on donkeys after His crucifixion, who cares – it’s pretty amazing.
The Lord had need of her.
She is written about in His Book.
The previous owner simply heard, “The Lord has need of her,” and that was enough. Give her to Jesus. She was meant for Him. I trust Him with my donkey. I trust Him with everything – that’s pretty amazing, too.
And it’s also pretty amazing that the Lord needs you, too, like He needed the donkey.
That the Lord has need of your stuff, too. You likely don’t have donkey, but you do have money, time and talents, too – body and soul, eyes, ears, mouth, and hands, as well. Trust Him with that stuff. He’s the rightful owner of all things you think belong to you, anyway.
And as the donkey was written about in His book, so, too you! Your name is written in the Lamb’s of Book of life – and that you bear His image in both His creative work and redemptive work.
You were sealed.
You were imprinted.
You are baptized.
You have His sign – the sign of the holy cross, both upon your forehead and upon your heart to mark you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified.
You had belonged to other masters, other kingdoms – sin, death, and the power of devils dark kingdom.
But now you belong to this King Jesus and His Kingdom of freedom, life and salvation.
Satan had bound you, Jesus set you free – and He did this through His sent ones – His pastors or other Christians who proclaimed to you the freedom of the forgiveness of sins.
You will find a donkey tied – untie her and bring her to me.
You have been brought to Him and on one hand, it’s silly to think He needs you –
God’s name is hallowed without you or your prayer.
God’s kingdom comes without you or your prayer.
God’s will is done without you or your prayer.
But we pray in these petitions
Hallowed be thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done – that these are done among us.
God uses you to love and serve and be gentle and merciful to others.
God uses your stuff to care for others and have “give us this day our daily bread,” be fulfilled.
God uses you and your stuff – treasure, time and talent – to keep His Church going and growing and His Word and other wisdom proclaimed and taught in truth and purity.
The Lord has need of you
That’s a tough calling.
.
The donkey bore Jesus that day. She is a called a beast of burden. She is carrying Jesus on her. She is identified by His mark of the cross.
And you are called to the same.
Jesus says, Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest – beautiful!
Jesus bears my sin, my death, my devil, my condemnation – I receive His rest.
But the text also continues!
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)
Jesus bears the greater burden, but then He does also yoke us, bind to Him – and there is burden to that. It’s a light burden compared to the burden we once bore, but it is a burden nevertheless and we should not deny that.
The world will hate you because it has hated me – that’s a burden.
You will be rejected for my names sake – that’s a burden.
The works of the flesh are opposed to the fruits of the Spirit – a burden of war within our very self.
Take up your cross, deny yourself, daily and follow me – that’s a burden.
Owe no one anything except to love on another…..Let us cast off works of the darkness and put on the armor of light….put on the Lord Jesus Christ, make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
It is a burden to deny ourself. It seems easier to do what we want, to listen to our feelings, to be selfish.
But no, bear the light burden of denying yourself. Love God. Love neighbor.
Bear the light burden of going to church, saying your prayers, treasuring God’s Word and using His name and calling upon it in every trouble, pray, praise and give thanks.
Bear the light burden and try to stop lusting – and instead lead a sexually pure and decent life in what you say and do.
Stop being angry and resentful and short tempered and grumpy – the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness and self control.
Don’t be greedy or lazy – work hard and be generous.
Stop the gossip around you and don’t be a gossip yourself – speak well of others and put the best construction on them.
The Lord’s can use you and He wants to use you and we pray that His name is hallowed, His kingdom come and His will is done in us and among us.
Yes, it’s a burden!
[It’s hard to deny yourself.
It’s hard to have some in the world scorn us.
It’s hard that the devil specifically targets Christians to false belief, despair, and other shames and vices.
It’s hard to push back the darkness when the darkness pushes back.
It’s hard to pray for God’s kingdom to come and live and believe accordingly when some other very power kingdoms of our sinful nature, the world, and the devil is fighting back.]
But His burden is light knowing He denied Himself and took up His cross for us.
The burden is light knowing that though the world scorns us, the Father and His angels rejoice over our repentance and faith.
The burden is light knowing the devil will be judged and that He is a liar and the truth of Jesus sets us free.
The burden is light knowing the darkness cannot overcome the light. Jesus Christ is the light of the world, the light no darkness can overcome.
The burden is light knowing that His kingdom comes now, that He is our King, and that He is the most powerful and merciful King imaginable.
And as we weary in the burden bearing, He bids come to Him all who are weary and heaven laden, for He will give us rest.
It is a great privilege to be marked as Jesus’ own and bear His cross
If anyone asks why you are untying the donkey, say, “The Lord need her.”
And if anyone ask why you think, say, and do what you do, say, “I am the Lord’s. And He amazingly can use me to help fulfill His purposes. And you know what, that’s a great privilege!”