Jesus sends for an ass

 

Throughout the New Testament we read of Jesus calling sheep, caring for sheep, tending sheep, sending sheep and referring to us humans as sheep, but in one particular New Testament account, Jesus sends for an ass.

The Weymouth New Testament translation of Matthew 21:1-3 reads,

When they were come near Jerusalem and had arrived at Bethphage and the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of the disciples on in front, saying to them, "Go to the village you see facing you, and as you enter it you will find a she-ass tied up and a foal with her. Untie her and bring them to me. And if any one says anything to you, say, 'The Master needs them,' and he will at once send them."

In those days, the ass did not have the lowly status as it has today, on the contrary, the ass was a prized possession and, as we see in all four Gospel accounts, was an appropriate choice for a triumphal entry.

I read this passage in several versions and somehow it conjured up in my mind how we humans might be compared to an ass, not as lowly but as a prized possession, and worthy of use by God.

Let’s eavesdrop on a conversation God is having with Hagar, Sarai’s Egyptian maid, about Ismael, the son she had for Abram, in Genesis 16:12 (NRSV),

“He shall be a wild ass of a man, with his hand against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him; and he shall live at odds with all his kin.”

Okay, pause for a moment, because I know that you know someone who fits that description, but you’re headed in the wrong direction; so, come back this way and let’s move on.

This wild-ass nature is not what you think it is. It has nothing to do with the type of turbulent lifestyle or being prone to violence in the way you might imagine, but about being free to be of service to God.

Free to surrender all to Him, free to be obedient to His call, unafraid and ready to go out into the world to proclaim the more than good news, to work diligently on His behalf, it is about being free to stand up for Christ.

It’s not to serve yourself but to serve God, just like the ass Jesus sent for.

The ass Jesus sends for, comes in both genders – a wild ass of a man, like Ishmael, or a wild ass of a woman, they are those persons who are untamed and cannot be harnessed, ready to bolt forward into the world for God’s purposes.

The ass that Jesus sends for, is passionate and violent about his/her spiritual mission; he/she eagerly pursues the Kingdom undaunted.

And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize—a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion]. – Matthew 11:12 (AMPC)

When Jesus sends for an ass, He knows that person will be wild for Christ, unburdened to do whatever He has called him/her to do – to demonstrate His glory and give Him a triumphal entry into the lives of others.

The ass that Jesus sends for is untethered, to bring hope to the suffering, to assure them that God is able to provide all their needs if they’ll trust Him and allow Him to.

The ass that Jesus sends for is freed to go to the lost and let them know that God sees them, that He hears them.

Beloved, the ass that Jesus sends for is unleashed to roam from place to place burdened with nothing but the amazing message of a God who loves and cares deeply for them, so much so, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life (John 3:16 ERV).

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Jesus sends for an ass” ©2026 March 27, 2026