Do This One Thing and You Can Do Anything

I find some passages and stories in the Bible amusing, even laughable. Sometimes, one must read between the lines to find the humor, but the joke is readily evident in other verses. I ran across a couple of verses this week that made me laugh. It wasn’t the lesson that amused me but the way it was delivered – through a donkey.

I have been reading the Book of Exodus for the past two weeks, much of which covers the laws Moses presented to the Israelites. Some directives seem absurd in our modern area, and others are a real mystery. Meanwhile, some codes are as applicable today as they were three thousand years ago. For instance, consider these two verses.

“If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.” (Exodus 23:4-5)

When I read this passage stuck in the middle of several random directives concerning justice and mercy, I laughed out loud. There are several times in Scripture where God used a donkey for noble purposes, and this is one of them. However, I don’t need to own a donkey to get the point.

I could immediately picture a farmer walking to town when he runs across his next-door neighbor’s donkey wandering aimlessly through a nearby field. The donkey has obviously found its way out of the pen and is headed who knows where. He knows the donkey could be gone forever in the nearby wilderness within the hour.

The farmer, Abe, stops, gazes at the lost animal, strokes his long beard, and chuckles. He recognizes the animal as belonging to his neighbor, who despises him, and the feeling is mutual. He thinks, Ha, ole Thomas is getting what he deserves, that good-for-nothing wretch. I can’t stand that guy. The beast belonged to his sworn enemy.

Now Abe is left with a decision. Do I let that dumb animal run off while I say nothing to my nemesis as he loses something valuable, or do I trudge across the field, retrieve the animal, and return it to my disgusting neighbor?

In real life, these things happen, don’t they? Sooner or later, we are faced with an uncomfortable choice. Should I do something good for a person I don’t like or let the opportunity pass? Revenge is so sweet and fulfilling, and we would much rather take that path, but our moral compass whispers a different response. Should I return the donkey? That’s the message of verse four, but then there is verse five, which is even worse!

Now Abe is walking down the road to town when he ventures upon Thomas and his donkey. The two are in a mess because this nitwit neighbor has done what you’ve seen him do a hundred times. He overloaded his beast of burden, and now the animal is lying on the ground, along with the results of Thomas’ foolishness scattered all over the road. Your enemy is in a self-made mess, and your kneejerk reaction is to revel in his stupidity. It feels so good to see him suffer the consequences of his irresponsibility. Abe thinks, I’m on a schedule, and I’ve got to get to town. I’m just going around this idiot, smiling the entire way!

Then, the worst happens. From the recesses of Abe’s moral memory, a dreadful law emerges. The instruction has been tucked away since he was a kid listening to his mother teach him about God’s intentions for his life. He can hear her voice. “When your dumb neighbor gets himself into a mess, even if he’s your enemy, help him out.” Argh! It’s the curse of a mother, and it cannot be avoided.

Abe assesses the situation, listens to his mother’s ghost, walks over to Thomas, and sternly says, “Let me help you.” These are four of the most challenging words he’s ever uttered. Then he continues. “Come on, let’s clean up this mess, and I’ll put some of this stuff on my donkey so we can get it to your house.”

Every fiber of Abe’s being wants to at least preach at this dumb bunny and verbally rub his nose in his stupidity. It would feel soooo good. But he can’t. He’s sworn allegiance to this pesky God who defines right and wrong and makes up noble rules, some of which nobody wants to follow. God says, in essence, “In these difficult situations, which will indeed happen to you, do the highest thing, the hard thing. Save the donkey.”

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I want to retort to the Father, “You save the donkey! I can’t stand this jerk!” Indeed, sometimes that is exactly how we respond, isn’t it? We think this Christianity thing has its limits, and I have just arrived at mine.

And then Jesus whispers, “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you.” Keywords: “but to you who are willing to listen . . .” So many times, I exercise “selective listening.” How about you?

Now, Abe must not only save the donkey but also work directly with his neighbor whom he despises. Meanwhile, Thomas, who is a jerk, must eat crow and accept help from the guy he is determined to irritate. Somehow Abe decided to do the higher thing rather than succumbing to his darker impulses.

The hardest thing we ever do is good to our enemies. If you can do that, you can do anything.

When Jesus was nailed to the cross, he said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Sometimes my kneejerk reaction to the Savior’s request is something like, Really! Are you kidding me? They knew exactly what they were doing! Jesus, why didn’t you call down the angel special forces and take care of business, for Pete’s sake? Make those people suffer! It is a supreme blessing for us that He chose another path, the way of forgiveness. Otherwise, we would all be in deep trouble.

We recognize that, most times, our choices are not as simple as walking a donkey back to its owner. Life is a little messier than that. It’s not so black and white. However, no matter how gray the situation appears, we can let the words of these two verses in Exodus serve as a guide, a compass.

I do not like taking care of my jerk of a neighbor’s donkey, but if I can master that deed, everything else might be easy peasy. In reality, Abe and Thomas may remain enemies for life. Isn’t that true? Just because you do something good for someone who does not like you doesn’t mean they will become your friend. But that is not the point.

In my opinion, doing good to a genuine enemy is one of life’s most significant challenges. I am blessed since I’ve experienced very few enemies in my life. With the few I’ve encountered, I confess that I sometimes reacted poorly. I do love a bit of revenge! I could not bring myself to do the higher thing. So, I pray that if I reencounter this uncomfortable situation, I have grown in the ways of the Master and will do the right thing. Still, I hope I don’t have to be tested.

You will encounter enemies of various forms. When you do, I hope you hear that pesky whisper. Save the donkey. Do that, and you can do anything.

Live Inspired,

Don Mark