Voices from the Crowd (Michael Ahrens, March 29, 2026) 

Oh man, I am going to be late. My wife is going to be furious. She was making lentil stew  earlier today and it gets all lumpy if you don’t eat it soon enough.  

But I have a good reason, don’t I? I mean, I had to try and get my donkey, didn’t I? Here, let  me explain it to you and you can tell me if you think she’ll be upset. 

It was just a few hours ago. There I was, minding my own business fixing the gate for the  paddock where I keep my donkey, Leah, when these two guys came up, grabbed the rope  tied to Leah and her colt, and started to walk off with them! 

“Hey. Hey!” I called out. They stopped and turned around, looking a bit uncomfortable.  “What do you think you’re doing?” One of the men shrugged and said, “Our master needs  them?” 

“Oh, okay.” The words were out of my mouth before I even realized it. And, perhaps deciding  not to tempt fate, the two men turned back and hustled toward the main road, heading  toward Jerusalem, pulling Leah and the colt behind them. 

A few minutes later, my mind finally caught up with my mouth. Okay? OKAY? In what world  was this okay? I need that donkey! I use her for carrying all my supplies to market and with  the colt I was going to be able cut my trips in half – or at least have a contingency in place  since Leah isn’t getting any younger. 

I have no idea why I said what I did and now I was down a donkey and didn’t have a clue  about how to get them back! Well, maybe one clue… the sandal prints and hoofprints in the  dirt were a pretty good indicator of which direction they’d traveled. 

Now there was no way I was going to try and explain this to my wife. She’d never been a big  fan of how much I’d invested in that donkey. “You’ve got two shoulders,” she’d say. “Carry 

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Voices from the Crowd (Michael Ahrens, March 29, 2026) 

the stuff yourself! You’re getting a bit thick in the middle anyway; the work will do you good.”  What would I tell her? I’d lost my donkey and her colt just because someone asked for  them? That was not going to cut the mustard, so I knew I had to do something. I tidied up  my work on the gate and headed out to follow the would-be donkey thieves. 

Well, those two men must have encouraged Leah to pick up her pace because I never  caught up to them. But I kept following the tracks and, as I approached the walls of  Jerusalem, I began to hear what sounded like a celebration. And sure enough, as I crested  the final hill to where I could see the gate, there was this massive crowd gathered. It was  crazy! They were lining the road five or six people deep and stretched out for some distance  from the walls like an honor guard. And they were singing and chanting and dancing.  Someone had gotten the bright idea to climb up into the nearby trees and cut off palm  branches. And they were waving those around and then I saw them start to lay them on the  road in front of this guy who was heading into the city. 

On my donkey. 

Well, on the colt, actually. Which was kind of weird, since the colt – who I haven’t even  named – shouldn’t have tolerated a rider yet. But Leah was right there beside them and I  guess her presence was keeping the colt calm. And there was this guy sitting on the colt’s  back riding into Jerusalem with, I don’t know, 10? 12? guys walking behind him. And all  these other people were acting like this was the triumphal entry of Tiberius or something. 

What was going on? I hurried down the hill, hoping to catch up with the donkey-nappers, but the crowd was closing in on the road as the man passed, so I soon found myself  hemmed in by the revelers. I grabbed one particularly exuberant fellow who was waving a  stick around like a sword. “What is happening here?” I asked him. “Who is that man and  why is everyone celebrating like this?”

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Voices from the Crowd (Michael Ahrens, March 29, 2026) 

“Don’t you know?” the man gasped, his eyes wide. “That’s Jesus of Nazareth! He’s going to overthrow the Roman occupiers and be crowned the new king of Israel!” 

“That guy? The one with the dirty feet and hand-me-down tunic? The one who apparently  doesn’t own a donkey and doesn’t have the funds to rent a donkey, so he resorted to  “borrowing” mine?” 

“Yeah, yeah! He’s been all over the countryside talking about his kingdom and now he’s  here to banish the Romans just like the prophets said!” The man was too eager to stay in one place and before I could ask him anything else, he was off into the crowd battling more  imaginary legions. 

Now I am as well read in the scriptures as anyone and was at least familiar with the  prophesies of Zechariah. I always figured that when he spoke of a king on a donkey he was  making an allusion to David – an actual king in exile. This guy? This Jesus did not appear to  be cut from the same cloth as our greatest king. But whatever. I needed to get to my donkey  and colt before they disappeared in the city. So I pushed on. 

A few minutes later, I saw someone I actually knew – an olive oil merchant who lived near  me named Caleb. He was cheering in the crowd, too. Maybe not as enthusiastically as  some of the others, but he was definitely putting some heart into it. I grabbed the hem of  his tunic to draw his attention. 

“Caleb, what are you doing here? Do you actually believe all this stuff about that Jesus of  Nazareth overthrowing the Romans?” Caleb at least had the decency to look a bit sheepish  before answering. “I know, I know. It sounds a bit crazy, doesn’t it? But hey, he can actually  do it, do you know how good that would be for my business? I can barely turn a profit with  all the taxes the Romans levy and if we could get rid of those, I might be able to afford that  villa up in Capernaum! So I’ll cheer for that!”

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Voices from the Crowd (Michael Ahrens, March 29, 2026) 

Caleb apparently didn’t know much else, so I left him behind and tried to work my way  toward the gate. At this point, the whole procession seemed to have stalled. I’m a bit taller  than most, so I got on my tiptoes and I could just see that man – Jesus – had been stopped  by a group of some very officious looking men. Pharisees, if I had to guess. Now there’s a  group that dresses to impress! Well, they were talking and one of the pharisees gestured at  the crowd and Jesus said something to them and the people nearby laughed and started  cheering again. I’m not sure what Jesus said, but it was enough to really tick off that head  guy and his whole crew stormed off into the city. 

Jesus seemed to have had enough of riding the colt. He dismounted and I could see him  gaze at Jerusalem stretching in front of him – a city filled with history and significance to our  people. He shook his head and started to walk through the gate. 

I’m not sure what the crowd expected, but it certainly wasn’t this. There was a brief surge to  follow him, but when he didn’t turn to address the crowd or do anything else, there was a  brief murmur of discontent that ran through the people like a rumble of distant thunder.  And then they all started to drift away, leaving Jesus behind with only his core group of  followers. 

I approached hesitantly, not sure if I should be angry or relieved or both. The two men who  had taken my donkey and colt earlier noticed me first and rushed over, throwing out  apologies like small coins. I waved them off. “It’s fine,” I said. “I’m not sure why I said what I  did earlier, but I said you could take her. I’m not upset.” And surprisingly, I meant it. “Can I  take them home now?” 

The men looked back at Jesus, who again seemed preoccupied. So they told me I could go.  I was about to start the journey back, but realized I had one more question. “So you guys  have been following Jesus?”

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Voices from the Crowd (Michael Ahrens, March 29, 2026) 

One of them – I think he said his name was Andrew – nodded. “And do you think he really is  going to overthrow the Romans and make a new kingdom?” 

Andrew seemed to hesitate. “Um… I think Jesus is going to do something. Something big.” 

“Are you guys going to help him? He doesn’t seem like much of a military leader. Are any of  you soldiers? Do you have any experience in politics or warfare?” 

“Oh no,” Andrew laughed. “I’m just a fisherman. It won’t be us, we’re his disciples. Jesus  will take care of what needs to be done… whatever that ends up being.” He didn’t sound as  sure as I would have expected someone in his position to be. But no matter. I tightened my  sandals and got ready to leave. 

“Thank you.” I hadn’t heard him approach, but suddenly Jesus was standing beside me.  Soft spoken with the deepest, most tired eyes I had ever seen.  

“Umm… you’re welcome?” I ran my hand through my hair. What should I say to him? Should I be angry? What was the point of all this pageantry today? At this point, I don’t think  it mattered. “I’m not sure how much help Leah and her colt really were today,” I patted the  two donkeys, “but if it was what you needed, I’m glad you could use them.”  

Jesus seemed to sense my unasked question – he was clearly more perceptive than his  followers – and he gave me a weary smile. “There are things we all do, that when regarded  on their own are misinterpreted as having significance by themselves. But when viewed in  the context of the whole they take on a new meaning.” 

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Voices from the Crowd (Michael Ahrens, March 29, 2026) 

My mind puzzled on that for a moment. “Like… when you plant olive trees and they could  just be for the olives, but if you arrange them appropriately, they can also be a windbreak  for your garden and more sensitive plants?” 

Jesus’ smile brightened at that. “Yes, just so. You know, if I had met you a few years  earlier…” But then he shook his head. “Time grows short and I have to hope that these  men,” he gestured at his followers who were now waving at him to leave. “I have to hope  that these men will see the whole picture someday.” 

As I watched Jesus walk away and enter the city, all I could think was, “Wow, I don’t think  people really understand that guy. I don’t think he’s planning what everyone expects.” And  then I noticed how far the sun had fallen and realized I would need to hurry to get home  before it was dark. 

So here I am and that’s what happened. What do you think? What is my wife going to say? 

Every time I’ve read the story of Palm Sunday, I wonder about the owner of that donkey. It’s  such a strange detail that is given so little explanation. Jesus could have just ridden into  Jerusalem on a colt without all the backstory, but it’s there in one form or another in every  Gospel. This was how I imagined the donkey’s owner might have reacted. He became an  interesting person to view the crowd through; to witness as they welcomed Jesus into  Jerusalem as a triumphal king only to turn on him and cheer for his execution in the days  that followed. 

Why would the crowd behave like this? There could be some influence from the whole  “mob mentality” adding fuel to the fire, helping fervor to grow into spectacle. A reaction  getting out of hand. But as the donkey’s owner notes, Jesus was not a king like David – and  he had never spoken or acted in a way that suggested he intended to establish an earthly 

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Voices from the Crowd (Michael Ahrens, March 29, 2026) 

rule. He’d never demonstrated any military or political acumen. In fact, I’d argue just the  opposite: Jesus seemed particularly adept at irritating those in power by pointing out their  hypocrisies and defying the status quo. The core reasoning for why the crowd saw Jesus as  an earthly ruler had to have some deeper – and flawed – foundation. I think it comes down  at least in part to three things: 

First, the crowd embraced the idea of Jesus as a triumphal king of Israel because it was  comfortable. For the people of Jerusalem, the idea that Jesus was destined to be an earthly  king fit their understanding of how the world worked. They were familiar with kingdoms,  from Egypt, to Babylon, to Rome. That structure fit within their own history, too, as the  Israelites demanded a king of their own and then struggled to establish and retain their  independence from oppressors over the centuries. The idea that relief from Rome’s  tyrannical rule was not what Jesus’ ascension foretold – that He was instead destined to  provide salvation through a heavenly kingdom – would have challenged their interpretation  of what the prophets had said for hundreds of years and would have created a very  uncomfortable vision for their immediate future.  

Second, this interpretation was good for them. Any idea that is going to benefit us  personally, professionally, or financially is an easy one to rally behind. The people of  Jerusalem surely looked at their lives and believed that placing Jesus on a throne to evict  the occupying forces would lead to greater prosperity free from the mercurial whims and  onerous taxation of an erratic emperor in a distant land. 

And finally, this expectation of Jesus allowed the crowd – and to a certain degree the  disciples – to cede responsibility and avoid personal investment. The people of Jerusalem  saw prophecy fulfilled with a king riding into the city on a donkey. They didn’t need to do anything, and they could ignore Jesus’ teaching about tending to the sick and caring for the  poor because those points were not relevant to their perception of Jesus’ role. It was just  “sit back, relax, and let Jesus do all the revolutionary stuff.”

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Voices from the Crowd (Michael Ahrens, March 29, 2026) 

I should note that this is not just a historical footnote. Even today it remains easy for us to  hide within the crowd when it comes to our relationship with God. How do we often view  God? Is it as a powerful deific being that is so unfathomable that we place Him on a  pedestal we dare not approach? He’s right there – we can all “see” Him – but in this form  He’s unapproachable and there’s no point in getting any closer to try and better understand  our relationship with God. Because doing otherwise would make us uncomfortable. 

And are we expecting any sort of a benefit from our relationship with God? I’m guessing that  apart from people who adhere to the “prosperity gospel,” most of us recognize that we are  not going to benefit financially or professionally from our faith. But I think we can flip this  question around a bit and make it a bit more relatable. Are we willing to make our lives a bit  more challenging or difficult by contributing our time, our talents, and our resources to  furthering God’s work here on earth? When asked that way, this suddenly becomes a much  more uncomfortable question. 

And, finally, how willing are we to put in the work ourselves? God offers Grace freely. We  can’t earn it. We can’t be “owed” it for good works. And, yes, God can intercede and  influence the world around us. There are parts to this relationship that are one-sided, but a  unidirectional relationship has never been God’s preferred approach. The Bible is literally  an anthology of people throughout history who have been called upon by God to be His  hands and feet and voice here on Earth. We are no different and we face that same calling,  both to further His kingdom and to grow in our relationship with God. Those are challenging  tasks – uncomfortable, even – and it is often oh-so-much easier to fall back into the crowd  and just cheer God on! 

The crowd is appealing because it is easy to hide within. It is often referred to as a throng or  multitude with good reason. Crowds embody a will all their own. And in the crowd, our  relationship with God can simply conform to that of those around us and we start to forget

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Voices from the Crowd (Michael Ahrens, March 29, 2026) 

the purpose of what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. Or worse, we run the risk of having  that purpose misappropriated or diverted by people with other goals. Stepping out of that  crowd and moving toward an individual relationship with God, however, is difficult because  it makes us uncomfortable. But here’s the thing: stepping out of the crowd is the opportunity to truly learn what God has in store for you. 

So my challenge: the next time you’re ready to have a conversation with God, pause and  think: how can I make this more uncomfortable? Maybe I should share something I’d prefer  to keep buried. Maybe I should ask what God needs of me and listen for an answer, even if  it isn’t what I want to hear. Even if it means I need to give of myself in a way I’m not used to giving. Even if it means taking on a role or responsibility I didn’t think I was ready for. Tell  God that you are ready to put down that palm branch and step out of the crowd. 

Will wonders never cease! I arrived home and my wife was waiting at the door. And I’ve  seen that face before. I’ll be sleeping in the straw for sure. But I tell her what happened.  She’s quiet for a while and then she says “It sure sounds like you didn’t understand what  was going on with that fellow Jesus at first. I’m glad you got it sorted out.” She handed me a  bowl of very lumpy lentil stew. It was still delicious. “This probably messed up your plans  for the day and set you back on what you have to do for market next week, didn’t it?” I  nodded and she continued. “But I think you really helped Jesus today with something that  was necessary and maybe that was more important than your trip to the market. I’m glad  you could be there. Let me know if you need me to help take care of things tomorrow.” And I  just stood there. I’ve never been more relieved – or humbled – to be married to that woman.  And I wondered, if I was called upon by Jesus again, what would I say? 

As we depart today, may we all strive to better understand the bigger picture of what God  asks of us. And may we all be ready – even when it makes us uncomfortable – to step out of  the crowd and say “I am here God, what do you need me to do?”

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