Articles

The Little Donkey That Was Overlooked 

When we talk about the Christmas story we focus on the Birth of Christ , the manger scene, angels, shepherds etc. 

Now, don’t get me wrong. The Birth of Christ will always be the main focus 

But I would like to take a look at a Donkey that was overlooked 

Here is a Donkey that was born for a purpose and never knew what his purpose was.

The donkey was born with a destiny to make a difference. Not only will the Lord use you and me, he needs you and me. We are born with a destiny to make a difference.

Mary rode a donkey into Bethlehem when she and Joseph were looking for a place to stay, the same night when she gave birth to Jesus. Even though the Bible doesn’t mention a donkey, Christian tradition has found something significant in the idea of Jesus riding on a donkey to his birth and Jesus riding on a donkey to the events leading up to the cross.

imagine what you would see riding into town on the back of a donkey. You’d probably see actual people along the path. You would be at the right height to make eye contact with them. You would be going at a pace where you could actually talk to them. You could reach over and touch them, if you wanted. This is not the same as riding into town on the back of a war horse. Not the same as flying in on Air Force One or Marine One. It’s a pretty safe bet: If you are riding on the back of a donkey, the people you see are in need.

You know the donkey can hear what they’re saying, and Jesus can see into their eyes, and the world is not the same.

This Donkey carried a King and His mother to the manger 

A light in the manger to let the darkness know it cannot win. Jesus is that light of the world to let the world know that darkness cannot win 

Somewhere, a small group of people decide to gather around a candle to pray for peace because they know the world does not stay the same. “One small flame is all it takes to let the darkness know it cannot win.”

John 8:12 (NLT): Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” 

The young donkey's grandmother also took the young Jesus and his family to Egypt to escape Herod and eventually accompanied Jesus and his family back into Nazareth. The narrator also explains that his grandmother had been frightened the day they came home from Jerusalem and could not find Jesus--until at last they found him back at the temple, teaching his elders about God. As the young donkey moans about being born too late to help Jesus, two men come to his stall and lead him away to the city. As they draw nearer to Jerusalem and the people gather to lay palm leaves along the road, the young donkey realizes that the man riding him is the same man that his grandmother carried long ago, and he feels he is the most blessed among all the donkeys in the world.