When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus then sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with it. Untie them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them on immediately” (Matthew 21:1-3, New American Standard Bible).

As Jesus prepared for His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, He sent two disciples to borrow a donkey and a colt. If anybody asked them why they were untying the donkey and colt, He told them to reply, “The Lord needs them.”

Did the donkey’s owners know Jesus? The Bible does not say. One of my seminary professors once suggested that Jesus had made advance arrangements both to borrow the donkey and to use the upper room for the Last Supper since the disciples were sent to look for a man carrying a jar of water, which was usually women’s work, to prepare for the Last Supper. We will never know for certain if Jesus engaged in spy-movie subterfuge at the end of His ministry.

“The Lord needs them.” We want to give Jesus our best. Are we willing to give Him our ordinary? Many want to be great preachers, worship leaders, Bible study teachers, etc. We want the glamorous, exciting gifts that make us look spiritual and holy. We feel like we are “something less” when we serve Him with the same talents we might use on our 9-to-5 Monday-to-Friday jobs.

The Lord needs them. He needs your talents and passion in the church to advance the Kingdom of God.

What “ordinary” qualities do you have that the Lord might need?

Copyright © 2023 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.