Tell Him That the Lord Needs Them

It is said that truth is found in commonness. Some try to find it in something special, but the Bible says that we have treasure in jars of clay. Thus, truth is in commonness.

God leads all things very quietly in a common way. Actually the works of Jesus Christ were not filled only with miraculous signs and wonders: We can find many things which look common in His works. His disciples and the gospel-writers, however, found something spiritual in those common things, and they wrote what they realized, being filled with the Holy Spirit. So now we, who are in the faith, get moved by what they wrote (2 Pe 1:20-21). However, from a worldly viewpoint, those things may be regarded as common and trivial.

Tell him that the Lord needs the donkey

Lately I found great joy in a Biblical passage, spoken by Jesus Christ. The passage says, “Tell him that the Lord needs them.” This seems so ordinary.

“As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'” The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. …”Mt 21:1-11

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, He told His disciples to bring a donkey to Him, in order to fulfill the prophecy of the Bible. The disciples were very perplexed. In those days, it was hard for the poor to have a donkey. Jesus and His disciples, who only spent their time preaching the gospel of the kingdom, didn’t have a donkey. So the disciples were embarrassed, wondering whose donkey they should bring. Then Jesus said, “Tell him that the Lord needs it.”

If a total stranger comes and says, “Give a donkey, for the Lord needs it,” who will give it to him willingly? The owner of the donkey, however, gave his donkey willingly to the disciples when they asked him to give it to them as Jesus had instructed them. This happened to fulfill the prophecy of the Christ’s coming as the king on a donkey.

Outwardly it might be regarded as a trivial thing that Jesus entered Jerusalem, riding on a donkey. However, spiritually it occurred to fulfill God’s prophecy. Everything was prepared and done as Jesus said, “Tell him that the Lord needs them.”

Tell him that the Lord needs his upper room

Jesus said the same word at the Passover. In the evening of the day before Jesus was crucified on the cross after accomplishing His mission in this earth, He told His disciples to prepare the Passover so that He might establish it as the new covenant. Then the disciples were perplexed. Jesus didn’t tell them where and what to prepare; He just said to them, “Tell him that the Lord needs it.” However, this word made everything possible.

“On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.”Mk 14:12-16

The disciples went into the city to a certain man. They didn’t know who would meet them in the city, but they went and met a man carrying a jar of water as Jesus had told them; and they said to him, “Our Lord told us to tell you that He needs your guest room.”

The disciples only told him that the Lord needed his room, and then he willingly showed them a large upper room, where Jesus and the disciples celebrated the Passover. By this word-“The Lord needs it,” a guest room was prepared right away, where Jesus would eat the Passover. Everything was prepared by this one word-“The Lord needs it.”

I will make you fishers of men

While Jesus accomplished the gospel work in the Early Church, leading His disciples into the truth, He only spoke the word-“The Lord needs them.”

“As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “And I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.”Mt 4:18-22

“Follow me. I need you.” When Jesus said that, all followed Him. Peter, John, James, … none of them refused Him. It’s because the Lord Himself said, “I need you,” and called them.

Jesus never seemed like God. Jesus appeared to them only as a son of Joseph the carpenter: No one could recognize Him as God Al-mighty-the Creator-who commands the heavens and rules over thousands upon thousands of angels, sitting on the throne of majesty.

Actually, however, all the creatures of the earth are always ready to fulfill God’s will, when they hear that the Lord needs them. In the Bible we can find no person who said, “No,” when the Lord said, “I need you.” All just said, “Yes.” No creature on earth has the power to refuse the Lord, replying “No,” when the Lord says, “I need you.” When Paul was devoted to Judaism, he intently persecuted the saints of the Early Church. He was later converted to Christ, but many saints were still afraid of him. Christ, however, spoke to them in a vision, “Do not be afraid of him.”

“… This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel”Ac 9:15

When the Lord calls a man, though he is stubborn and rough, though he is now deeply devoted to a different religion, he is supposed to bow his head before the truth. This is the providence of God.

Blessing of those whom God needs

Now is a spiritual autumn-the harvest time. In this age, the Lord needs us. There are about six billion people in the world. They are as the sand of the sea. Among them God has called you and I, saying, “I need you.”

The Lord Himself needs me. What a great blessing! Among those whom God needed and called, who did wrong and went astray? None of them. As for Peter, he was only a fisherman and little known. However, the Lord needed him and led him to the truth, and he became an apostle of apostles. He is held in great esteem by all Christians today. How about Apostle Paul? He was once against the truth and persecuted the saints. When the Lord needed him and called him to be converted, he testified that Jesus is the Christ before the Gentiles and the kings and preached the new covenant, suffering many things. As a result, he has also been highly respected by all Christians until today. Like this, everyone whom the Lord needed acquired fame.

Now, the Lord needs us; even angels in heaven envy us for our duty. Is this world better than heaven? Certainly not. Nevertheless angels envy us for our mission we do here on earth-the work of preaching the gospel of the new covenant (1 Pe 1:10-12).

Now, the time has come when God accomplishes His glorious work. We must not hesitate when we are called. What did Peter, John and James do when the Lord called them? They didn’t hesitate to follow Christ and do His works. Like them, we too should respond to God’s call without hesitation.

Their life was so eventful; they had much trouble and got persecuted. However, when the Lord said that He needed them, they followed Him willingly in obedience. They did not care about their outward surroundings. They just made every effort to be a vessel worthy of God’s work.

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm. Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. Herds of camels will cover your land, … Who are these that fly along like clouds, like doves to their nests? …Then will all your people be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor. The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly.”Isa 60:1-22

If the Lord says, “I will do this,” it is done just as He says. Every-thing is possible and supposed to be accomplished if the Lord says that He will do it. When the Lord said that He needed a donkey, the disciples went to bring it. No one rejected the Lord when He said that He needed him. All creatures were waiting for the Lord to use them.

Even as for a donkey, when the Lord needed it, its owner allowed the disciples to bring it, though he had no part with them. Then, why is such a thing that appears common written in the Gospel? We need to consider.

Think about the donkey the disciples brought to the Lord when He said He needed it. There might be many other donkeys in Israel at that time. Among them the Lord needed only one donkey and it was brought to Him and used for King of kings and Lord of lords to enter Jerusalem. How blessed it was, though it was an animal! The donkey God chose to fulfill the prophecy is well-known; about two thousand years have passed, but we still talk about it.

It is the same with Mark’s upper room. When the Lord said that He needed it, Mark the owner prepared it. It has been the only upper room remembered by the world until today. All become famous if the Lord needs and chooses them. Their glory is great and endures forever.

Most people in this earth do not know why they are born. To us, however, God showed the glory of heaven.

Among six billion people, it is the 144,000 who God has needed and chosen. He ever chose only one donkey among many other ones, so that He might fulfill the prophecy. He chose Mark’s upper room among many guest rooms in Israel at that time. Likewise, He has chosen and called us the 144,000, as firstfruits to God and the Lamb, in these last days.

There are many great speakers who have much scholarship in the world. However, God didn’t choose them. He has called us and said, “I need you.” If we say Amen when God needs and calls us, we shall all be prophetic heroes for God’s glory.

Go and make disciples of all nations

Now, we should only be used by God, as He has called us.

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”Mt 28:18-20

God is with those whom He needs, even to the end of the age. Among six billion people, who are those whom God is always with and loves? Aren’t they all of us? The Lord has called us, saying, “I need you.”

Socrates, a famous Greek philosopher, said: “Know yourself.” Ironically, Socrates and even Buddha didn’t know themselves. We, however, know ourselves-why we are born on earth and live a miserable life, where we are from, and where we are going. God let us know that.

Since the eternal kingdom awaits us, we must not waste our time on vain things in this earth; we should be more faithful to the task that the Lord has called us to do. However, this does not mean that we should neglect our earthly responsibilities. For the eternal life in heaven, we must live more faithful and favorable lives on this earth.

Two thousand years ago, the donkey was chosen for the mission to carry the Christ-King of kings and Lord of lords-to Jerusalem. Mark’s upper room was prepared for the Passover which Jesus would establish as the new covenant. Now, we have a greater mission than that of the donkey or the upper room.

The Lord has called us and said, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” This is the mission to which God has called us.

We should make them disciples just as the Lord has already told us. When you preach the gospel to someone, if he is doubtful of it and hesitates, tell him that the Lord needs him. Then he will not hesitate to come.

If we work with faith, God helps us. God estimates our faith. He does not help us right away; He waits for us to have 100% faith in Him and then gives us His power. God waits until we have a perfect faith.

The Lord says to us, “I need you.” He has called us, who are weak in the world, and has given us a great mission-the last Reformation.

God has come as the Spirit and the Bride and entrusted us with the gospel work, saying, “I need you.” How gracious! As the Lord intends to use us to carry out the last Reformation, it will be accomplished swiftly. Now, the only thing left for us to do is following God’s will naturally.

Though we are weak, God needs us. So, we can confidently say to whomever we meet, “The Lord needs you. Come!” “The Lord told me to take you to Him,” “The Lord has said that He needs you.” Brothers and sisters in Zion! We are the ones whom the Lord needs. Let us faithfully perform the mission of preaching the gospel in these last days, receiving the Holy Spirit even more.