His Master Needs Him

Donkeys were essential commodities in the Ancient Near East. People rode on them, used them to carry merchandise, and plowed the fields with them. Prior to entering Judea, Emperor Vespasian was in Africa and got into debt. To pay off his bills, he dabbled in the mule trade, earning himself the nickname mulio or muleteer. Considering this, would it be too outrageous for us to think perhaps Jesus owned a donkey or two?

As Jesus, his disciples, and the crowd neared Jerusalem’s outer region, closer to Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples ahead, saying,

“Go into that village opposite to you. When you enter, you’ll see a colt tied up that no one had ridden on it before. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ You say, ‘His master needs him” (Luke 19:30–31).

The word kurios has two meanings: Lord and master. When we translate, “His Lord needs him,” it gives a theological meaning, i.e., the Lord of creation needed that creature he created. But if we translate, “His master needs him,” it gives a plain and simple meaning that Jesus was asking his disciples to go and untie his colt. Some might object, saying Jesus was too poor to own a colt. But even poor carpenters often had donkeys to carry their tools and wood pieces.

The disciples went ahead of the crowd, found the colt just as Jesus had said, and untied it. As he predicted, other masters (kurios) asked them why they were untying the colt. The disciples replied,

“His master needs him” (19:34).

So, they let them lead the colt to Jesus. Then, the disciples put their garments on the colt and placed Jesus on it. And the march to Jerusalem began. The crowd was ecstatic, and they praised God in loud voices, saying,

“Blessed is the coming king in the name of YHWH. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest” (19:38).

The first line was from a kingly psalm perhaps sung during coronations (Psalm 118: 26). The people added “king” to the psalm, i.e., instead of “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of YHWH,” they sang, “Blessed is the coming king in the name of YHWH.” Immediately, it brought fear among the religious leaders. After all, they had Vespasian, the mulio, as their king. They didn’t want to anger him by calling another riding on a donkey as their king. So, some of the Pharisees asked Jesus to tell his disciples and the crowd to stop that chanting. Jesus replied,

“I tell you: If I silence them, these stones will cry out” (19:39).

Even the creation knew who the true king was, not a mule trader but the one who entered Jerusalem on a donkey like other kings of Israel. With him came heavenly peace and glory!