On the First Palm Sunday
Have you ever thought of the first
Palm Sunday from a donkey’s point of view? In his book Anthony DeStefano tells
us a story in this way. There once was a donkey—young, weak, and small, so weak
he could carry nothing at all. No matter how much he tried or he cried, This
was a donkey that no one could ride. One day two men came and untied him and
took him away. The donkey was frightened. He said to the men, “Where are we
going? Please leave me alone and just let me be!” They walked on for miles and miles until they
got to a town at the foot of a hill. At the foot of the hill stood a man tall
and thin, wearing a cloak and a beard on His chin. He had eyes that seemed sad
and a voice soft and gentle that floated on air. He said to the donkey, “It’s
time that you knew about the great thing that you’re destined to do. You’ll
carry Me into the city—we two. My help is enough; It’s all that you need. The
weaker you are, the more strength I give. I’ll be there to help you as long as
you live.”[1]
This story echoes the paradoxical truth that “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong” (1 Cor 1:27). It’s a holy mystery. The strength of Jesus is at work in our weakness.
Two Voices
I think many of us are often
struggling with identity and low self-esteem. We are swayed by between the two
voices in this world. One voice says, “Listen to your heart,” “Be true to
yourself,” “Trust yourself,” boosting our ego. The other voice says, “You’re
nothing,” “You’re useless,” “You’re a loser,” lowering our self-esteem. Where can
we find our true identity? Who am I?
Christ’s Identity
How about Jesus? Where did he discover
his identity? He was firmly rooted and grounded in God’s Word. After Jesus performed
his first sign at Cana, everyone was fascinated. But he would not entrust
himself to them, because he knew all people, and needed no one to testify about
anyone, for he himself knew what he was in everyone (John 2:24).
Jesus found his identity in God’s words and promise – Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. That’s who he is and what he is.
Christ has died. Jesus knew who he was. He was sent as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matt 20:28). He came to die.
Christ is risen. Death is not the end. It’s just a means to an end. Three times Jesus said to his disciples that he must suffer and die, after three days he will rise again. The emphasis is on the latter – his resurrection. Jesus came to conquer death by becoming the firstfruits of those who have died.
Christ will come again. On the first Palm Sunday people waved their branches and shouted, “Hosanna!” It was a king’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem for sure. But Jesus knew that was foreshadowing what was coming. The better and more perfect one is on the way. It was just the beginning. Jesus had an entire picture of God’s salvation in his mind. One day Jesus will wipe every tear and rule the world with justice and peace.
Christian’s Identity
We, Christian’s identity comes from
Christ’s. Because Christ has died, our sins are washed away. We are
forgiven, accepted. We are adopted into God’s family. Because Christ is risen,
we too will rise. We have eternal life. Because Christ will come again,
heaven is our home. Everyday is one day nearer. He will make it right. He is
making all things new. That’s who I am. That’s who we are.
I am a child of
God. God is my Father.
I have eternal
life. I can face tomorrow.
Heaven is my home.
My citizenship is in heaven.
I exhort us to speak this truth to
our souls every day – in the morning and at night.
The Small Woman
Gladys Alward (1902-1970) was a
British Christian missionary to China. She was from a humble family, poor and
uneducated. In her young age she was called to ministry – mission to China. But
no one was willing to support her ministry. Even the China Inland Mission
turned down, saying it was not possible for her to learn the language and carry
out the mission works. In 1932, completely ‘off her own back’, she spent her
life savings on a train passage to China. The perilous trip took her across
Siberia with the Trans-Siberian Railway, where she was forced to get off the
train she was on and walk to her destination. Throughout this dangerous journey
Gladys found her strength, her purpose, her identity in Christ and His Word.
Every time she was down, she pulled out her pocket Bible and spoke to her soul,
“God is with me,” “I am His beloved.” By this, she was able to stay the course.
Later, she rescued hundreds of street children during the war and became a “mother of orphans.” She took care of wounded soldiers – both Chinese and Japanese soldiers. She preached the Good News to governors and generals and brought them to Christ. Though she was not qualified from a professional point of view, God was able to use her so mightily without hindrance. In her book The Little Woman, Gladys concludes her story as follows[2]:
My heart is full of praise that one so insignificant, uneducated, and ordinary in every way could be used to His glory and for the blessing of His people in poor persecuted China.
From the Donkey’s Point of View
Somehow, we’re like a donkey. Oftentimes,
we are deluded into thinking, “I am somebody.” We easily think that people’s
praises are for us. At other times, we are discouraged, thinking, “I am nobody.”
But with Christ and in Christ, we are God’s body. When we are weak, then
we are strong. May we abide in Christ. May we always be rooted and grounded in
His Word and find our identity there. Praise be to God.
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