Say ye that the Lord hath need of him.
“The Lord hath need of you”
I. He wants you for Himself. Jesus loves you; you are to be the compensation to Him for all He suffered. Christ feels incomplete without you.
II. He wants you for His Church. The Church is a building; you can never tell what stone the Great Master Builder may require next. It is a family-you complete the circle.
III. He wants you for His work.
IV. He wants you for His glory. When the Lord wants anything you will let Him have it.
1. Your money. If He takes it you will know that He had need of it.
2. Death. He has need of those dear to us. There is great comfort in the fact that when Christ sent to appropriate what was indeed His own, He sent also the constraining power of His own grace to overrule that it might consent to the surrender. (J. Vaughan, M. A.)
On obeying Christ
The two disciples, without any questioning, proceeded upon their Master’s mission.
I. The principle we have stated applies to all new undertakings in which we engage as servants of our Saviour, acting under His direction. It was a new thing He asked them to do when He sent them to bring to Him the colt. Our Lord often asks us to do unlikely and unexpected things. God told Moses to go to Egypt. God asked Jonah to do a new thing. If God asks us to take a new departure, His hand will guide us.
II. The principle illustrated here applies to undertakings which are difficult and mysterious, to which our Lord calls us. What right had they to the colt? There was a touch of mystery-why such a beast of burden? God often calls His people to difficult and mysterious duties. Try to do it and all is well ordered.
III. The principle here illustrated applies to all undertakings in which Christ’s servants engage directly for His sake. “The Lord hath need of him.” (A. Scott.)