Today is Palm Sunday in the Liturgical calendar. It is the Sunday before Easter, and represents the day that Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem…on a donkey.
Triumphantly?
On a donkey?
I don’t want to get into the technicalities of how this was a fulfillment of prophecy, or why this was a strategic and important move by Jesus. There are people much more intelligent than me that have more intelligent things to say on that. What I want to focus on is the humility present in Jesus’ actions here.
By choosing to ride on a donkey, Jesus effectively gives up any potential worldly power that could have been bestowed on Him had He chosen a horse. Really, He is almost inviting people’s mockery- I can’t imagine many people look particularly regal on a donkey foal. I can imagine that it may have been slightly embarrassing, and if not for Him, then definitely for the disciples who had devoted their lives to following Him. How do you defend a leader that chooses such a lowly steed?
Here’s the amazing thing: they didn’t need to defend Him. Jesus rode into the city on a donkey and there was still a crowd that was over the moon excited to see Him, and that made sure to cover the path with cloaks and palms while He rode. His apparent lack of grandeur had little to no effect on the people’s response. What did affect people were His love, His teachings, and His humility.
I can’t even begin to fathom the level of humility that Jesus possessed in order to successfully make that ride. It was so…bold. A bold humility. What an amazing quality.
What if all of our leaders today (or ever) had this level of humility? What if we could put our trust in leaders because they were humble, and not because they were “powerful” or “strong?” I’m not even sure what that would look like. Maybe it’s impossible for the world as it is today.
Truly humble people fascinate us. We read stories and watch movies about them; artists are constantly creating characters that try to embody this purely humble, selfless quality. Aslan, Harry Potter, Samwise Gamgee, Neo, Katniss, Mulan, Jon Snow, the list goes on and on (and on). Why do we love these characters so much? Why are they so inspiring? And why don’t more leaders in today’s society look like them?
We are drawn to humility. Where we do not see it, we seek it in stories or we create our own characters. The idea of a truly selfless person sparks hope that maybe, just maybe, a loving peaceful society can exist. If we can find just one person like this, maybe there are two. And even if there is only one, maybe we can be inspired to live in the same fashion.
I think we often mistake “humility” with “unsure.” Humility is not timidity. A person can be both humble and bold. In fact, I think that we need more humble people to act more boldly. We are too accustomed to worldly qualities that define a “good” leader or person.
Perhaps we just don’t know what a truly humble, self-sacrificing world would look like. It seems too idealistic to have a selfless person in power (on any level). Maybe we just don’t believe that people like this exist. Well, Jesus did exist, and He did live that selflessly. He had ample opportunities to give up His humility and live selfishly, but He never did. He stayed selfless until the end- literally, He stayed selfless to the point of His death. And we are called to live the same way. It’s probably time for us to start valuing humility more than strength, or money, or volume…or hair.
[I want to thank Lucas Allen for his Palm Sunday sermon today, and especially for his insights on the donkey. It’s what got me thinking about humility. It will eventually be uploaded here in podcast form if you’d like to listen to it: http://www.reddoorbloomington.org/gatherings/sunday-mornings/download-discuss-archives.]