Palm Sunday: Jesus was a Horseman

Palm Sunday: Jesus was a Horseman!

Meeting my good friend Eric (who owes us some Plutarch readings) halfway on the subject of Holy Week, here's a more direct reading -- but one that still pertains to the values of heroes and tamers of horses. From the Gospel of Mark:

1 And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, 2 And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. 3 And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither. 4 And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him.

5 And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt? 6 And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go. 7 And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him. 8 And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.

9 And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: 10 Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.

Atheism.com would draw your attention to certain points:

Why is Jesus using an *unridden colt? There doesn’t appear to be anything in the Jewish scriptures which requires the use of such an animal; moreover, it’s completely implausible that Jesus would be experienced enough in handling horses that he could safely ride an unbroken colt like this. It would have posed a danger not only for his safety, but also for his image as he attempts a triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Indeed, try it sometime, and see how well you sit an unbroken colt.

And yet the Gospels are clear: Jesus did it, and with ease. Perhaps that is reason not to believe... and perhaps it is otherwise. Because if we do believe that he did it, as the Gospel of Luke also recounts, we have to account Jesus to be a tremendous horseman: a better one than any man of his background ought to be.

If you wanted to give a sign, to a people who knew about riding horses, traveling on an unbroken colt would hardly be the least impressive thing you could invent. Remember that the heroes of the Iliad were often known as "breakers of horses," because it was so perilous that a hero might be proud to do it and do it well; here rode a man who didn't have to break them.