The Two Disciples and The Two Donkeys

When they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus gave two disciples a task.  He said to them, “Go into the village over there. As soon as you enter, you will find a donkey tied up and a colt with it. Untie them and bring them to me.  If anybody says anything to you, say that the Lord needs it.” He sent them off right away.  Now this happened to fulfill what the prophet said,  Say to Daughter Zion, “Look, your king is coming to you, humble and riding on a donkey, and on a colt the donkey’s offspring.”  The disciples went and did just as Jesus had ordered them.  They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their clothes on them. Then he sat on them.
-Matthew 21:1-7

On what we call Palm Sunday, Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem. But, he had two disciples get two donkeys: a mother donkey and her colt. Jesus rode the young male who had never been ridden before. In his carefulness and perhaps kindness towards these two donkeys, he had the male's mother come along for the journey to perhaps comfort the young colt. So, in a truer picture of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, you would see Jesus on the colt, surrounded by crowds. But next to that colt with Jesus on him is that colt's mother.

Jesus sent his disciples to perform a simple task as a two-some and Jesus requested that the two donkeys be brought to him, mother and colt.  God is always looking after relationship.  We stand before God alone, but we stand and we walk together.  God knows we need companionship and most animals are not solitary and even the solitary ones seek companionship and mates.

"It is not good for man to be alone" (Gen. 2:18).  This is the first negative in the Bible.  God designed us for relationship with him and with one another.  God is looking for friends for people who are alone.  God really cares about loneliness and companionship in and for people.  

God also has compassion for animals.  Some people believe that Jesus had his two disciples get the two donkeys, colt and mother, because that was the fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9; which mentions the two.  But I think that God actually had Zechariah describe it that way because God cared, in advance, for the donkey that Jesus would ride and his mother.  The colt had never been ridden before and probably had never been separated from his mother.  

Some of us have magical thinking about God and about Jesus and think that everything Jesus did was easy because he is God after all.  But the significance of Jesus life is that he lived it as a man, not as God; a man, filled with and anointed by the Holy Spirit.  Jesus moved in and flowed with the Spirit of God.

Jesus did miracles, but he was also human and practical.  Meals had to be prepared each day, he needed his sleep, he had to get away to pray, and he had to send two disciples to fetch two donkeys that had been foreordained by God for his use.  God provided the provision, in advance, to fulfill his plan for Jesus and for us.

God cares about companionship with humans and animals.  He knows our needs and provides for them.  God also has provision in our future for his vision or plan or prophecy of our future.  Where God leads, God provides.