The Witness

March 26, 2013

The Witness

One minute I was dozing in the morning sun;
Then I awoke to find my ropes had been undone.
The kindest Man that I have ever seen drew near,
And with one gentle touch He drove away my fear.
When His disciples led me to a crowded street
I bowed my back to Christ, the Mercy Seat.
So I, a donkey, bore the burden of the Lord;
Beneath my feet were palm leaves, spread there by a horde
Of selfish folk who sought a powerful earthly king,
And loud hosannas through the lanes began to ring.
But all too soon the shouts of victory had turned
To “Crucify Him!” as the Holy One you spurned.
The crown you gave had thorns that pierced His noble head;
The regal robe you offered dripped with crimson red.
You persecuted prophets when they preached to you,
But every chain will crumble, and every stone you threw
Will cry aloud to bless the God that you deny,
For all of His creation is prepared to testify
That Immanuel has come to break the dreadful curse
And all the ruinous powers of darkness to disperse.

Copyright © 2013, 2022 by Teresa Roberts Johnson (All rights reserved)

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I dedicate this poem to Pedro, the sweet donkey who helped make our Palm Sunday Passion Play complete. I always smile when I remember that the animals share a part in the same remedy that makes us new creatures. The recapitulation of earth will certainly include donkeys.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9)

I felt compelled to have the donkey be our accuser, the witness against us. It was man’s sin that caused the donkey’s life to be filled with unpleasant toil. Therefore, it was only right for this obedient creature who served our Lord to bring the covenant lawsuit against rebellious mankind.

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