The scripture for today, September 9 (9/9), is Zechariah 9:9 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:
“Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Most people think Jesus riding on a donkey made him humble. Not at all. Donkeys and Mules were rides of kings.
Judges 5:9-10 says, “My heart is with Israel’s princes….you who ride on white donkeys.” Supreme Judge Jair led Israel 22 years, and had 30 sons who rode 30 donkeys (Judges 10:3-4). Supreme Judge Abdon, who ruled Israel 8 years, had 70 sons and grandsons who rode on 70 donkeys (Judges 12:14).
II Samuel 18:9 says Absalom, King David’s son, rode on a mule. In I Kings 1:33,38,44, David ordained that his son, Solomon, ride on his own mule through the street as one proof that he chose Solomon to be the next king.
The people of Jerusalem knew Jesus was not only riding the ride of kings when he entered their capitol city, but he was also at last fulfilling the centuries-old prophecy they all knew so well (today’s scripture).
This is the humility that Jesus did exhibit: He rode on the colt of a donkey.
Do we blindly follow whatever our religious leaders tell us? Do we know the scriptures as well as we think we do?