Thoughtful Thursdays-Borrowed Things
in Thoughtful Thursdays on March 5, 2015
I want to talk to you about Borrowed Things. Several years ago, Jeff and I were in Maui on vacation, and had the need for a box fan. Anyone who has ever roomed with me at a Retreat, knows that in order to sleep, I must have a wind tunnel present. Hence the box fan. Thankfully, our hotel was extremely accommodating, and provided us with a perfectly functioning fan. Well, five days into our trip, we changed hotels, same parent company, different locale. We borrowed the box fan. Everyone relax: we took it back. But, have you ever borrowed something? Lunch money at school? Fifty cents for a Coke? Have you ever felt like you were living on Borrowed Time? I experienced sensation as well on this trip to Maui. On the sixth day of our vacation we were scuba diving off the coast of Lanai, and I somehow wound up tangled in the anchor line of the boat…fifteen feet under water. I was holding on to the anchor line so as to help with descent to the bottom of the ocean floor. However, on this particular day, the inner-island channel was incredibly choppy—probably too choppy for us to be out there—and as I was making my way down the line, the surface waves took the boat one way, while I went in the opposite direction. My left hand was sucked through the mooring line/pulley ring and left me suspended, panicked and at the mercy of the ocean to put some slack back in the rope, so I could pull a very mangled hand free. Thankfully, although it was mangled, I did still have all my fingers. Borrowed time. My mind has been circling around that Thought for days.
We are fast approaching Easter which as you may recall is preceded by Holy Week. My mind has been spinning over that as well. Jesus borrowed things. Did you know that? He did…in fact from the very beginning of His life, He began to borrow things: “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:6-7) You see, when Jesus was born His parents were traveling to Bethlehem to be counted for the census. They weren’t even in their own hometown, therefore any bed that the baby Jesus was to be laid in, would be borrowed. The King of kings borrowed a feeding trough for His royal crib. As He neared the end of His earthly ministry, while being sentenced to die, the cross He was bidden to carry belonged to another man. “With one voice they cried out, ‘Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!’ (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)” (Luke 23:18-19) As the guards beat Him, and as He carried the cross (see John 19:17) the crimes for which He was about to die…were not His own. In essence, Jesus ‘borrowed’ the crimes of all mankind–that includes mine and yours. And finally, as Jesus breathed His last, He was carefully removed from the borrowed cross, with His borrowed crimes, and laid in a borrowed tomb. “At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid…since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there” (John 19:41-42).
Wow. Heavy stuff, I know. Before we get too bogged down in the mires of the darkest day in human history, I want to clue you in to someone else who is living on borrowed time. You see, for the three days that Jesus was in the tomb, Satan was doing his victory-end zone-touchdown dance. But this is NOT the end of the story. On the third day, just when everyone thought Satan had won, the women went to the tomb. They did not find the Roman guards, instead they found more borrowed place-holders—angels. “‘You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here'” (Mark 16:6). By the awesome power of the Almighty, Jesus was able to break the bonds of sin and death. He is Risen!! Now, we too, can live with renewed strength, as we (in effect) borrow the redeeming power of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ. But, the best part about that deal–We DON’T HAVE TO PAY HIM BACK. Jesus died once. For all. Now we live with benefits of having had our Savior, well, save us! Prepare your hearts during this Lenten season and for the rehashing of Holy Week. It will be tough to look at all of our sins, but hold tight to the promise of Easter morning. He is Risen! Alleluia! He is Risen, indeed!! Have a blessed weekend!!
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
Here’s hoping your day is bright!
Dallas