The Legend of the Donkey

From the time I was twelve until I graduated from high school, I cared for my neighbor's horses as well as my own. They had two Quarter Horse mares and a donkey name Jose.

Like all other donkeys, Jose had the dorsal stripe on his back and another line across his withers and shoulders which formed a "T" or a cross.

 (Photo from Google Images)

During the time I cared for Jose, someone told me a legend about why the donkey has that cross on his back.

Joseph and Mary riding into Bethlehem.

According to the story, because of the donkey's service to Joseph and Mary by carrying a very pregnant Mary on their journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem,

 assisting them in the flight into Egypt two years later, 

and carrying Christ into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday,

the legend says that God blessed the faithful donkey for his service and placed a memorial upon his back, and the back of all other donkeys, in the form of a cross.

 It's a lovely story, and to this day

the first thing I think of when I see a donkey is not those cute fuzzy ears or shaggy coat, it is of the contribution such a lowly animal played.

It is lovely to think about the role a donkey played in something as important as the life of the Son of God.

Merry Christmas!