“Call it a loan-on a debt that you owe”

PASTOR’S PERSPECTIVE: “Call it a loan-on a debt that you owe”  By:  Ron Woodrum

  In the 33 years that our Lord sojourned upon this earth, He never once demonstrated a single shred of materialistic desire. I doubt seriously that He ever scanned the Jerusalem Daily News to see whether the stock market was up or down, or called His bank to see how His investments were doing, He never worried one second that inflation might be eating away at His little “nest egg” tucked away in some corner of His humble abode. He never had an abode. He told those who would follow Him that the “foxes have holes, and the birds have nests, but the Son of Man hath nowhere to lay His head!” (Matthew 8:20). He told His disciples to “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth”. (Matt. 6:19). He lived that message before them. He said, “a man’s life consisteth not in the things he possesses!” (Luke 121:15). When we had United Voice in concert, their lead singer, Jeremy reminded us that all during the days of His flesh Jesus had to often borrow the things that He needed. Stop and think about that! The day He was born- He had a borrowed room-in a stable. He had no baby crib-He had a borrowed manger-i.e. “a feeding trough” borrowed from the cattle. He borrowed a coin from the fish’s mouth to pay taxes. He borrowed 5 loaves and 2 fishes to feed the 5,000. He often borrowed a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee, or to use as a pulpit to preach from. When He made His entrance, in fulfillment of Scripture, on Palm Sunday, it was on a borrowed donkey. You remember Jesus told them to go into the city, find a donkey tied at a certain location, take it and tell the owners-“The Lord hath need of him” (Mark 11:2-3). Someone has said that the only thing that was his was His Cross. The poem goes like this:

         

They borrowed a bed to lay His head

When Christ the Lord came down;

They borrowed the ass, in the mountain pass

For Him to ride into town;

 

But the crown that He wore

And the cross that He bore

Were his own-The cross was His own.

  

He borrowed the bread when the crowd He fed

On the grassy mountainside;

He borrowed the dish of the broken fish

With which He satisfied;

  

But the crown that He wore,

And the cross that He bore,

Were His own, the cross was His own.

  

He borrowed a room, on the way to the tomb

The Passover Lamb to eat;

They borrowed the cave, to use as His grave;

They borrowed the winding sheet

They covered in spikenard so sweet

   

But the crown that He wore,

And the cross that He bore,

Were His own, the cross was His own.

  

  A great poem-but not accurate. Even His cross was a borrowed cross. It belonged to Jesus Barabbas. Jesus borrowed his cross on which to die- in his place and in ours too. He had a borrowed tomb, that He only needed for three nights and days. All His life He borrowed necessities in order to impact our world for God. Do you know He still is? Would you let the Lord borrow from you? You say “what do I have that the Lord has need of?” Anne Johnson Flint tells us clearly what the Lord needs to borrow from us. Listen to her words-

 

Christ has no hands but our hands

To do His work today

He has no feet but our feet

To lead men in His way

He has no tongue but our tongues

To tell men how He died

He has no help but our help

To bring them to His side

   

What if our hands are busy

With work other than His?

What if our feet are walking

Where sin’s allurement is?

What if our tongues are speaking

Of things His lips would spurn?

Oh how we need to help him

And hasten His soon return?

 

  Would you let Jesus borrow your hands, your feet, your tongue? Several years ago, there was a pop song entitled-“Call It A Loan”- The lyrics stated-“Call it a loan-on a debt that I owed!” That sounds like a tune we could definitely learn from our Lord! Just keep telling yourself-“The Lord has need of you!” He really does!