This past Sunday, Christians all around the world celebrated Palm Sunday in celebration of Christ’s arrival to Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Palm Sunday marks the end of Lent and the beginning of Holy week. Coming out of the wilderness of fasting, repentance, and self-reflection, Christians begin to walk alongside Jesus in the final week of His life. Early on Sunday morning, I read the story of the from the Triumphal entrance to His burial. One thing particularly stood out to me this time: Those who carried him.
On the first day of the week, Jesus rode past the walls, and into Jerusalem, carried by a donkey. The people greeted Him as their king with palm branches shouting, “hosanna in the highest!” On Friday, He would be completely abandoned and mocked by Roman soldiers. The soldiers would put a purple robe, a crown of thorns, and a sign above His cross that read, “The king of the Jews.” His corpse would hang on Golgotha’s hill, to be carried by Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, to be buried in a tomb.
On Sunday He was carried by a donkey and on Friday He was carried by two friends. No one ever talks about the donkey or the friends in any meaningful way. And that is because they are but perfunctory details; they are small details that make the narrative flow. Yet, they had the greatest privilege:
They carried the king.
I desire to be like that humble beast that carried Him in and those friends who carried Him out. To live my life as one who carries Jesus while remaining a perfunctory detail. What a privilege it is to humbly carry the king.
The way up is down. (Luke 14:11)
–Pastor Alex Portillo