Homilies on Luke — Homily 37 (Luke 19:29–40)
Latin source: Origen's Greek homilies on Luke, surviving only in Jerome's Latin translation (c. 391), from the reading text of M. Rauer (ed.), Origenes Werke IX (GCS 35, Leipzig, 1930). This English translation is released into the public domain.On the fact that a colt of a donkey was untied by the disciples.
It was read in the Gospel according to Luke how, when the Savior had come "to Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples" to untie "the colt of a donkey", which was tied up, "on which no man had ever sat". This indeed seems to me to pertain to a higher understanding rather than to the simple narrative. The donkey was tied up. Where, then? "Opposite Bethphage and Bethany", of which Bethany is interpreted "house of obedience", while Bethphage means "house of jawbones", a certain priestly place; for the jawbones were given to the priests, as is prescribed in the law. To that place, therefore, where there is "obedience", where there is "a place made over to the priests", the Savior sends his disciples, that they may untie "the colt of a donkey, on which no man had ever sat". Furthermore, what else can sit upon a donkey apart from a man? I wish to take an example for a little while, so that what I am about to say may be understood. It is written in Isaiah: "the vision of the quadrupeds in tribulation and distress", and the rest, up to the place where he says: "the riches of the asps will not profit them". Let each one of us consider how great wealth of asps he has borne before this, how great riches of beasts, and how a rational man never sat upon our donkey — not the word of Moses, not of Isaiah, not of Jeremiah, nor of all the rest of the prophets — and he will see that the word of God and reason then sat upon us, when the Lord Jesus came and commanded his disciples that, going, they should untie "the colt of a donkey", which before had been tied up, so that it might walk free. And so the "colt of the donkey", once untied, is led to Jesus, and in sending his disciples to untie it he had said: "If anyone asks you: why do you untie the colt? say to him: because the Lord has need of it". There were many masters of this colt before the Savior had need of it; but after he began to be its "master", they ceased to be many masters; for no one "can serve God and mammon". When we serve wickedness, we are subject to many passions and vices. The colt, therefore, is untied, "because the Lord has need of it". And now the Lord "has need" of the colt. You are the colt of the donkey. What does the Son of God "have need" of that is yours? What does he seek from you? He "has need" of your salvation, he desires that you be loosed from the chains of sins. Then the disciples put "their garments upon the donkey" and make the Savior sit upon it. They take up the Word of God and set it upon the souls of the hearers. They strip off their garments, they "spread" them "in the way". Upon us are the garments of the apostles; their good works are our adornments: the apostles wish their garments to be trodden by us. And indeed the donkey, untied by the disciples and bearing Jesus, walks upon the garments of the apostles when it imitates their teaching and their life. Which of us is so blessed that Jesus sits upon him — Jesus, who, as long as he was on the mountain, tarried with the apostles alone, but when he began to be near the descent, then the crowd of peoples met him? If he had not come to the descent, the multitude could not have met him. He came down and sat upon the colt of the donkey, and all the people with one accord praised God. Seeing this, the Pharisees said to the Lord: "rebuke them"; to whom he answered: "If these keep silent, the stones will cry out". When we speak, the stones are silent; when we keep silent, the stones cry out; "for the Lord is able to raise up from these stones sons of Abraham". At what time shall we keep silent? When "the charity of many shall have grown cold", when that which was foretold by the Savior shall have been fulfilled: "do you think that the Son of man, when he comes, will find faith upon the earth?" Therefore let us entreat the Lord's mercy, lest, while we are silent, the stones cry out, but let us speak and praise God in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit: to whom is glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen.