EVEN A DONKEY KNOWS WHAT A MOTHER SHOULD DO
Matthew 21:1-11 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the town ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there, with her chicken by his side. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away. ¡¨ 4 This happened so that what was said through the prophet would be fulfilled: 5 ¡§ Say to the daughter of Zion: ¡¥ Look, your king is coming to you meek and riding on a donkey, and on a colt the foal of an ass… ¦¡¨ 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put their cloaks on them so that Jesus could sit on them. 8 A large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The multitudes that went before him and those that followed him shouted: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heavens!” 10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in an uproar and asked, “Who is this?” 11 The crowd responded, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee!”
This is the Palm Sunday message. Not for a Mother’s Day message? Let’s see.
ILLUSTRATION: 1 John 4:18 / John 4:18
Today There Is The Rupture Of The Family: Divorces are increasing, more single mothers. Many single relationships wait and wait for the man to propose. Increased family mobility from city to city due to jobs that make children lonely when they move. There is a greater need for education for women. Due to globalization, more parents travel far as part of their work, and that puts pressure on bonding and parenting. In the major cities of the United States, there is the high cost of living. Gays and lesbians have come out of the closet and are now sitting in pulpits, in classrooms, and on our councils. There is more incest in families than ever before. Children, mothers and some men are violently and sexually abused in homes, communities and churches. Many children go to bed every night without adequate beds, food, clothing, or shelter. Many children grow up alone. The streets are unsafe, gangs, prostitution, etc. Infidelity of the spouses. Participation of children in early sexual practices. Drunkenness, drug addiction, crimes, etc. Our society needs donkey mothers whose children follow to Jesus.
Our Text Is Recorded In The 4 Gospels And Prophesied In Zechariah And Isaiah. Mark and Luke say it was a colt. Juan says it was a colt, but female. Only Mateo speaks of the presence of the mother. Donkey is mentioned in the Bible 142 times. A donkey or an ass are all the same beast. Jackass is the name of a male jackass; jennet is the name of a female ass. The donkey is a member of the horse family. Donkeys are well known for being extremely stubborn, especially when asked to do dangerous things, but these animals are also very gentle and incredibly trustworthy. They traverse various terrains that would be too rough for horses. They are found all over the world. The donkey has several advantages over the horse. They are incredibly strong and carry up to 40% of their body weight. They are also easy to care for, require minimal food, and are capable of digesting almost anything edible. They are very patient and trusting with the people they meet. Democrats use the donkey as a party symbol: humble, homey, smart, brave, and lovable. Republicans, who use the elephant as a symbol, think the donkey is stubborn, silly, and ridiculous. Democrats think the elephant is clumsy, stupid, pompous, and conservative, but Republicans think it’s dignified, strong, and smart. Notice this: The donkey took Mary, while she was pregnant with Jesus, to Bethlehem. Now we see him about to take Jesus for his final journey to Calvary.
Jesus has told his disciples to go to the village and bring him a donkey and her colt. If someone asked them: “Why are you taking them?”, they should answer: “Because the Lord needs them”. Now Jesus would only be sitting on the colt. Why did Jesus ask for Mother Donkey to come? I apologize for using Mothers & Donkey in the same vein, but here are some points:
1. A true mother cannot be lax in her conduct (Matthew 21:2). Notice that it was the donkey mother that she was tied up with. When you’re a mother, you tie down your emotions. If a mother carries the daily responsibility of being a mother, her children will be free to be children. The colt would freely choose to stay by his mother’s side. Unfortunately, some children are tied up while their parents are on the loose.
ILLUSTRATION: Michael Jackson missed that moment.
ILLUSTRATION: The Mother Instructor. 2 Tim 1:5 (Great Lois, Eunice)
2. God has a special calling for those who are mothers (Matthew 21:3). The disciples were specifically told to bring the mother colt. Before God can call your children, he has already called you. Every mother has God’s call on her life. America needs a generation of God-called Christian mothers who will heed God’s call to the ministry of motherhood!
3. Where a mother goes, children will follow (Matthew 21:4-6). Why did Jesus tell the disciples to release the mother donkey and bring her to him? Because he knew that if the donkey mother came, her little donkey would follow her freely. Mothers, if you want your children to have morning devotions, attend church, and live a godly Christian life, you must set an example for them to follow! If you want your children to respect the Father, the Pastor and the authorities, you must give them the example to follow!
ILLUSTRATION: The Loyal Mother. John 19:25 (Jesus Mother on the cross)
4. If a mother can lead her children to Christ, she will see that Jesus will be glorified through their lives (Matthew 21:7-9). There is no greater joy for parents than to see their children being used by God. This wild colt would be used by Christ. Jesus would ride on his back and enter Jerusalem where he would receive worthy praise from him. But he felt safe with the mother around. He would not be tied down ¡V mother & his teachings went on.
ILLUSTRATION: The Protecting Mother ¡V Jochebed (Exodus 2:1-4)
ILLUSTRATION: The Solidarity Mother ¡V Ana (1 Samuel 1:24-28)
5. When a child is raised, also a mother is raised: We have read this text many times. We didn’t even hear about the mother donkey. But notice 21:7: According to this verse, both the colt and the mother donkey were used on this occasion. They both put clothes on. The mother went ahead of the child. I can imagine the disciples leading the donkey mother first, and then the colt will follow his mother to Jerusalem with Jesus riding on her back. What a beautiful image for Mothers. It is true that all eyes on Palm Sunday would have been focused on Christ, but there was a mother at the forefront!
ILLUSTRATION: 1 Kings 3:16-3:21: Solomon and two prostitutes.
ILLUSTRATION: Preacher’s Lost Bicycle ¡V Preaching the 10 Commandments
ILLUSTRATION: Twins ¡V The Minnesota Twins Baseball Team
Triplets – The 3M Corporation
Quadruplets – The Four Seasons Hotel
Fourth Guy Passed Out: Shouldn’t have taken that 7-Up job
BIBLE STUDY: Mothers are sensitive to follow God ¡V Men are slow.
ILLUSTRATION: The forgetful patient ¡V Pay me in advance for treatment B4
HOW CAN YOU BE LIKE HANNAH (I SAMUEL 1-2)?
ć A godly mother believes in the power of prayer.
ć A pious mother gives her children to God
ƒá A godly mother wants God’s best for her children.
ć A godly mother keeps her word to God (and others)
Any mother here who desires these qualities, come on, let us pray for you.