Daily Manna – March 22, 2016
Topic: God’s Kingdom Virtues
Reading: Luke 19:28-40
Scripture: And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen. (Luke 19:37)
Note: The hour of the glory of God produced compelling and undeniable emotions of joy and praise in anticipation of the fulfillment of the promised Messiah. The mighty works of God through the hand of Christ that defied human boundaries of impossibilities, including the dead and the buried being raised back to life, were simply too compelling a fact to ignore.
Jesus sat on an ass, a young one, even as he rode into Jerusalem. There were two donkeys available for the use of Christ; one was matured and the other one was a colt. Christ opted for the colt. The donkey in general is not considered an intelligent animal. It’s the most stupid and ignorant animal within the horse group of family. Yet, for all its weaknesses, it’s docile, has patience and is hardworking. The colt as the younger donkey is even expected to be more docile, implying teachability and more patient.
Inspite of this obvious cog in the wheel, with Jesus opting for a colt when he had the power, the influence and the means to have chosen a horse; the more royal animal within the horse family used by princes and kings for its swiftness, its beauty, its gracefulness and its power, Jesus’ choice of a lesser means of transport that stood for patience, ignorance and docility only served to remind humanity of how patient God had been with us. In our ignorance and wretchedness, we still display arrogance and pride in the things we own, and have seemingly outgrown the Master, becoming less teachable.
Food for thought: Jesus used a colt to teach us simplicity, teachability, patience and strength in weakness, as some of the vital virtues of the Kingdom of God.
Declaration: And he answered and said unto them, “I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” (Luke 19:40)
© Author: Rev Fred Aboe
