The Donkey's Cross

by Chuck Ness

The painting above is a powerful image when you consider who the boy is. The famous painter Jacques Tissot made this masterpiece. It invokes the purpose of the boy's existence in this World. It reminds me of the cross on the back of the donkey his mother rode to Bethlehem, and the one He rode into Jerusalem. His destination was the same from the beginning, and I am sure there are many moments He was reminded that He was to be about His Fathers business.

As legends go, this is one of the greatest in my opinion. It combines Biblical truth with a fairy tale. Yet, only the One Who rode the donkey in his mothers womb to Bethlehem to his birth, and into Jerusalem to be crucified will know the true reason why He created the donkey to have a cross on it's back. This one, should give us all a pause to meditate on the importance of destiny in God's great plan.

Once upon a time a man prepared his donkey with enough blankets to make his wife as comfortable as possible for a long trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem. She won't be able to ride the whole way, since the donkey must also carry the items they need for the long journey. While he prepares the donkey, His wife collects the food and cloths she put together and heads out the door to join her husband for the long trip.

A few days later they arrive in Bethlehem, just to learn there is no room at the Inn. The innkeeper points to the stable and returns to his customers inside as Joseph leads the donkey with his wife towards a cave where shepherds keep their sheep. There are hayracks and mangers there. Sheep and cattle toward the back of the cave, with the strong smell of manure lingering in the air. Joseph thinks to himself, surely this cannot be where the baby will be born. Mary is trembling and is deep in pain now. Joseph helps her down from the burrow and carries her into the cave. He makes a bed of hay for her, and places the blanket from the donkey onto the straw.

About 33 years later, the boy is now a man, and He is about to complete His journey as He approaches Jerusalem. He sends a couple of disciples ahead to get a donkey awaiting a King. It was an old poor farmers donkey, but it could not do the work it was purchased for. The old man could not care for a useless donkey, so he decided to tie it to a post for anyone who wanted it.

As he began to walk away, two young men came for the donkey. The old man asked them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They told him, "The Lord has need of it", and he let them have it. His heart felt a tinge of joy instead of sadness for the poor useless donkey. "Someone has a use for it" he thought to himself.

The disciples brought the donkey to Jesus, and he rode it into Jerusalem resembling a king riding to his people. Except this king, Jesus, was also the sacrifice who would soon suffer the punishment of death for the sins of the world. After Jesus finished riding the donkey, they let it go to where ever it wanted to wander to.

A few days later the donkey was grazing in a pasture as the man who rode him was lifted to the sky, like a snake in the Desert. The sun shined on Him, and a shadow was cast onto the donkey's back while it grazed. As the skies darkened and the ground trembled, the donkey scurried away to find a safer place to graze, while our Lord passed entered the next phase of His journey.