03/29/2026
Don’t Forget the Donkey (English Version)
At the moment Jesus was preparing to enter Jerusalem, many were expecting a warrior Messiah. A Jesus who would arrive on horses, with strength, bringing deliverance through power.
But everyone was stunned.
Jesus asked for a donkey.
Just as it was prophesied in Zechariah 9:9:
«Behold, your king is coming to you, righteous and victorious, humble, and mounted on a donkey…»
And then a deep question arises:
What was Jesus thinking as He entered this way? What did He want to teach us?
When I imagine that scene, I see Jesus riding the donkey, looking at the faces of the people who were shouting: “Son of David!” People who celebrated Him, who recognized Him as the Messiah, who received Him with praise.
But Jesus knew something they did not understand.
He knew that those same voices, days later, would shout: “Crucify Him!”
How much compassion must have been in His heart?
How much inner strength to smile, to approach, to love… knowing what was coming?
Jesus entered Jerusalem with a heart already carrying the weight of rejection, pain, and betrayal. He knew that behind those doors awaited the most intense suffering: the blows, the cross… but even more profound, the pain of dying for those who would reject Him.
And if we are honest, that is not so far from our reality.
Sometimes we also live surrounded by people who celebrate us, who promise to be there… but in the middle of difficulty, they change.
What was once applause becomes a wound.
What was once closeness becomes abandonment.
Then Jesus leaves us a powerful lesson:
Don’t forget the donkey.
And why the donkey?
Because the donkey represents humility.
It represents the path of forgiveness.
It represents choosing to love, even when it hurts.
Jesus did not choose the warhorse. He chose the donkey of peace.
In Jerusalem, Jesus went through one of the most painful processes. In Gethsemane, He asked the Father: “If it is possible, let this cup pass from me.” And in the midst of that agony, His sweat turned into blood. That first bloodshed… before the cross.
Blood shed out of love.
For those who believed in Him… and also for those who wished Him dead.
And yet, at the climax of His pain, Jesus spoke words that continue to move humanity:
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Humanly speaking, it is hard to understand.
Perhaps we would have said: “Father, look at what they did to me.”
Or even: “Bring justice now.”
But Jesus… never stopped loving.
Not in the pain.
Not in the betrayal.
Not on the cross.
And that is the good news:
Jesus keeps loving.
And today, He invites us to do the same.
To ride the donkey.
To face our pain, our rejections, our wounds… but from humility and forgiveness.
Jesus did not enter Jerusalem alone.
And you don’t have to walk alone either.
Seeking help to heal your heart is not weakness; it is courage.
It is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself.
And if you ever doubt the path…
remember this:
Your King did not come in war.
He came in humility.
As it was written in Zechariah:
“Behold, your king is coming to you… humble, and mounted on a donkey.”
Take heart.
Jesus is also on the donkey… with you.
with love,
Merari
You can find more reflection
At the moment Jesus was preparing to enter Jerusalem, many were expecting a warrior Messiah. A Jesus who would arrive on horses, with strength, bringing deliverance through power. But everyone was …