Book Review: The Donkey Who Carried a King
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:3-5-8 ESV)
As adults, we have grown accustom to the fact that life provides many opportunities to be wronged, overlooked, and disappointed. Children, however, are smack dab in the middle of the process of learning these stinging truths, truths that hurt and leave wounds. Such is the case for little Reilly, a boy we and our children are introduced to in R.C. Sproul’s new book The Donkey Who Carried a King. Reilly has, once again, been chosen last to play games with his friends and is left feeling unwanted. As in other children’s books by Sproul, Reilly’s Gradpa is enlisted to share a deep and practical truth about our Lord Jesus Christ with his little grandson–a truth that will change the way Reilly thinks about being wronged by others.
His Grandpa proceeds to tell the story of Jesus’ triumphal entry and subsequent death, from the vantage point of a donkey, a donkey named Davey. Now Davey isn’t just any donkey, he is a donkey who knows just how Reilly is feeling. He too desires to be picked to do something great, he too desires to be admired by others rather than overlooked. One day, Davey gets that opportunity. Out of the blue he is chosen to carry Jesus into Jerusalem. As he watches the people around him lay down their coats and palm branches down for him walk on and hears them shouting out “Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; even the king of Israel!” he realizes that he has been chosen for a very important task, for he is carrying the King.
{To read the rest of my review at Redeemed Reader click here.}
If this is your first time to visit Desiring Virtue you may want to join our growing community of passionate homemakers by "liking" DV on Facebook, following DV on Twitter, or subscribing to DV's email delivery via Feedburner.














Connect to Desiring Virtue: