If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”Luke 19:31

Sometimes we act as if we own everything in this world. Our boastful attitude and posture is stark evidence of our ignorance and folly. “For we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it” (1 Tim. 6:7). Extreme adversity in a series of tragedies brought this truth to Job, and he confessed it. “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart,” he said. “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; May the name of the Lord be praised” (Job. 1:21). How wise we would be, if we possessed such a high view of everything in this world.

God had stripped Job of everything he owned – his oxen, sheep, servants, camels, and all his sons and daughters; and he had many of them (13-19).Yet, in an amazing display of his knowledge of God’s benevolence and sovereignty, Job maintained a heavenly perspective instead of a lateral view of things. Unfortunately, we lose this view when we go through the crucible. But, perhaps, the most reprehensible posture anyone could assume before God is when we deny Him ownership and appreciation for our stewardship of what He gives us.

Maybe you’ve read about David’s experience with Nabal (1 Sam. 25:1-11). Nabal mocked David and rejected his plea for some provision on the festive occasion of Nabal’s sheep-shearing. “Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?” (11). Nabal was heartless and arrogant, and God didn’t take kindly to that (38).

King Nebuchadnezzar learned his lesson the hard way when he claimed ownership of Babylon from the roof of his palace. “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” (Dan. 4:30). “Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird,” then he “raised [his] eyes to heaven, and [his] sanity was restored”(33).

The rich man whose field yielded abundant harvest, said to himself when he surveyed his overflowing riches: “What shall I do? I have no place to store my crop … I will store my surplus grain … I will say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry”’ (Lk. 12:17-19). God called him a fool and demanded his life from him – a divine request nobody can resist.

I am so glad that the owners of the donkey and her colt Jesus demanded for His triumphal entry into Jerusalem were  wiser. The Lord had no prior arrangement with them, as some commentators claim. They had use for their animal, and, I am sure, they were dear to them. But, at the request of King Jesus, they instantly ceded ownership to Him. Without argument or struggle, they yielded the animals to their real Owner for His divine purpose (Matt. 21:1-11).

As we relive the final days of Jesus’ journey to the Cross, let’s learn how to properly hold everything in this world – loosely and in readiness to yield them all to Jesus, who is the real owner of everything we have; even our very life.

As Paul says in his doxology, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen” (Rm. 11:36).