Horse Thieves for Jesus?

(a Steve Orr Bible reflection)

The final fate of former Texas Ranger Jake Spoon is the most sobering moment in Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove. He goes from respected lawman—to horse thief. How the mighty fall. In the Old West, horse thieves were hanged. As he is about to be hanged, Jake tells his former friends and former fellow lawmen, "I'd rather be hung by my friends than by a bunch o' strangers." 

That's one of the saddest things I've ever heard.

In this week’s Luke passage about Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we might wonder if we’re reading about horse thieves.  

In present day, we celebrate that triumphal entry as Palm Sunday when, in fulfillment of prophecy, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey. But before that entry, before all those palms lined the road, and before people shouted “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”—There was need of a colt. Jesus directed two of his disciples to take a colt from a nearby village! Did Jesus tell his disciples to steal a colt? And is that what they, in fact, did?

Were they horse thieves for Jesus?

To most believers, the question sounds ludicrous. But there are many outside the faith who take the passage at face value. And because of their influence, it is worth our time to investigate a bit. How do we answer the charge unless we give some thought to it?

The strongest defense here is that no one ever charged Jesus or his disciples with theft—and there was plenty of opportunity for someone to do that. Also, just to underscore the point, they were caught in the act. If the colt’s owner thought it was being burgled, why not raise an alarm? The most likely scenario: Similar to the “upper room” later used by Jesus and crew for the Passover meal, the use of the colt was prearranged. And why not? Jesus was well known in the area. After all, He had recently raised one of their neighbors from the dead.

The biggest danger here is that some will point to this passage as a “license to steal”—justification for "securing" whatever is needed by those who serve God. They imagine a sort of "eminent domain" for Christians; proof they can take whatever from whomever because “it will help the cause.”

Nothing could be further from the truth. Stealing is not just criminal: It's a sin. "Thou shalt not steal" is one of the original Ten Commandments, and it still applies. For believers, how we accomplish God’s work is just as important as the end result.

A horse thief is still a horse thief. 

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BONUS MATERIAL: A couple of triumphant songs for Jesus’ triumphal entry, a short poem, and a couple paragraphs on horse thieving:

Michael W. Smith: “Hosanna” (Blessed is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord)

 Petra: “The King of Glory Shall Come In” (Be Lifted Up Everlasting Doors—from Psalm 24) 

The Donkey (G. K. Chesterton’s short poem)