Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; and He said to them, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. And if anyone says to you, “why are you doing this?’ Say, “The Lord has need of it’, and immediately he will send it here.”
Mark 11:1-3
One day Jesus was to enter Jerusalem as part of the fulfillment of the prophecies concerning Him, but He needed a means by which to enter. It was to be a special event being the week that culminated into His passion (His arrest, trial and death). Looking at the need at hand, the only available solution at the time was a young donkey, the colt of an ass whose owner had left it tied to a stake without knowing why. Little did the owner know that he was tending and reserving that young donkey for the Master’s service.
We sometimes find ourselves under stiff restrictions and disciplines without really knowing why, yet the simple but profound answer may be because the Lord has need of us. The donkey in that passage could not be left to itself, roaming with freedom like others, because the Lord had need of it. It could not graze freely whatever it felt like eating, but what the owner wanted it to eat. It missed the company of its mother because it needed to be set apart for a special purpose like the young Samuel (1 Samuel 2). Dear friend, are you the captain of your life, doing whatever you want the way you want it done? If your answer is YES, then your boat is headed for a big capsize.
The donkey was located in a village whose name was not even mentioned in that passage. What was more important at the time was the purpose the donkey was meant to fulfill. I believe there were several other donkeys roaming the streets of Jerusalem and the cities of Bethany and Bethphage at that time, but none of them caught the Master’s attention except the one in the unnamed, remote village.This implies that if God chooses to use a man, his background or where he is located may not be an issue. You might be from a very minor and unpopular region, but if God has need of you, He bypasses those protocols and locates you wherever you are. All He requires of you is your availability and not just your ability. That young donkey was left tied to the stake because it needed to fulfill the prophecy concerning it: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.” – Zechariah 9:9.The young donkey needed to be a part of Jesus’ success story. What a privilege to be the carrier of the Master and become the channel through which He triumphantly gains entrance into the hearts of men, cities and nations.
Note that when the disciples were to lose the donkey for the Master’s use, some busybody fellows came asking, ‘Why loose the donkey?’ The simple but emphatic answer the disciples gave was ‘Because the Lord has need of it’. I see you asking so many questions such as ‘Why me? Why all these restrictions around my life? Why can’t I do whatever I choose to do like my contemporaries? Why am I going through all these challenges, am I the only Christian here? Why are my parents being too protective of me, and will not allow me live my life the way I want it?’ The simple answer to all these questions is because the Lord has need of you. This is further confirmed by the Word of God in Hebrews 12:11 (NLT): “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” Heaven jealously guards that which it chooses to use. Little wonder, no man ever sat on the donkey before the Lord used it. In fact, it was a virgin donkey, unexposed to and inexperienced in life, yet it was the Master’s choice. Are you aware that there is a great demand over your life? Don’t be carried away by the teases and mockeries of your friends, colleagues, classmates, neighbours, etc, who question your faith and the disciplinary measures imposed on you because of your purpose. Calmly whisper to them, ‘I cannot compromise because the Lord has need of me.’ Note that you are not like any other person. God is very much meticulous about you because you are a prophecy in fulfillment like that donkey.
Finally, when they entered Jerusalem, Scripture records that men and women cast their clothes on the donkey and others on the ground chanting ‘Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He who comes in the Name of the LORD!’- Mark 11:9.The donkey partook of that honour because it yielded to the Master’s use. Jesus didn’t step on their raiment, the donkey did. This is exactly what happens to every life that is totally surrendered for the Master’s use. He never uses a man and discards him like the Devil. He will always give you your share of the honour and trophies. He is a faithful Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
God bless you.
World Changers Magazine 