Donkeys and Zonkeys

AM Psalm 106:1-18 • PM Psalm 106:19-48
Num. 22:1-21 • Rom. 6:12-23 • Matt. 21:12-22

Balaam, something of a soothsayer, was sent on a mission to curse the Israelites, at the behest of a king who feared that his kingdom would be swamped by this horde migrating from Egypt.

Despite warnings in a dream not to molest these Israelites, Balaam ultimately rides his donkey off to see the immigrant threat, curse it, and go back to report to the king who sent him.

His donkey however keeps trying to deter Balaam on the pathway by pressing the rider against the wall hurting Balaam’s leg, for which he is beaten, and then tangling Balaam up in a vineyard, for which he is beaten again. Failing at this deterrence, the donkey simply stops and sits down on the road further infuriating Balaam, who beats him a third time.

The donkey then miraculously speaks in his own defense, saying that he has otherwise always been obedient and has actually looked out for Balaam whenever he saw something amiss. Today the donkey was seeing an angel with a sword at the ready to kill Balaam, if he continued on his way in defiance of the dream. At this point Balaam sees the angel for himself and prostrates himself on the road.

It is interesting that the first thing the angel said was: Why have you beaten this loyal animal? If it had not been for the three delays it caused, you would already be dead...although personally, I never would have abused the donkey!

But like Balaam, we contemporary humans often think we already know everything. And if you find talking donkeys improbable, consider that there are actually hybrids of zebras and donkeys, known as zonkeys. Bet you didn’t know that.

Written by Tony Stankus

Tony Stankus is a Distinguished Professor and the BioMedical Librarian at the UofA. He reminds fellow Episcopalians that when in doubt, to go beyond Google, and check in with their librarians, to see just what’s out there, and perhaps be surprised, and sometimes even entertained.