The institutional church's idea of a servant of God is not at all like Jesus Christ's idea. His idea is that we serve Him by being the servants of others... The real test of a saint is not one's willingness to preach the gospel, but one's willingness to do something like washing the disciples' feet - that is, being willing to do those things that seem unimportant in human estimation but count as everything to God. It was Paul's delight to spend his life for God's interests in other people, and did not care what it cost... Paul focused his life on Jesus Christ's idea of the New Testament saint; that is, not one who merely proclaims the gospel, but one who becomes broken bread and poured-out wine in the hands of Jesus Christ of the sake of others.
-Oswald Chambers
Leading in Jesus' eyes is serving.
Being first in Jesus' eyes is being last.
Being great in Jesus' eyes is being least.
Jesus' eyes are the only pair that matter.
Jesus calls us to be forgotten on this earth. To never let your left hand know what your right is giving. To always pray in secret and short. Why take promotions? Why own a smart phone? Why own a phone at all? Why have a facebook? Why put a title before our names?
Christians are called to be nothing. To turn the other cheek, to give to people who cannot repay, to love those who hate us, to die. Nothing glorious about it in our eyes. What would the Pope look like in the eyes of Christ? nothing like what we humans have created.
God was born in a barn. More specifically He was first laid in the food trough of livestock. His mom was pregnant before she was married. He came from Nazareth. The slums of their time.
“Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
-John 1:46
Jesus came as the least to save everyone. We are called to do the same. We aren't called to have a fancy job and use our power and money to fix things. Jesus had the opportunity to turn stones to bread and feed the world. Jesus had the opportunity to have all the kingdoms of the world and their glory but he took neither. (Matthew 4)
Jesus had the opportunity while the crowds were waving palm branches and shouting the war cry of hosanna to lead the people in a revolt and overthrow the powers of earthly authority. As he descended the mount of olives and approached the East Gate or the "Golden Gate" he could have become the leader of the nation and set them free just as gloriously as Moses had the first time.
But what did Jesus do? Instead as he got closer to the city and saw everyone cheering and crying out for revolution and war with the word hosanna, he wept. He cried, "How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace." (Luke 19) Instead of riding in on a war horse he was on a lowly donkey. Instead of entering in through the "Golden Gate" he entered in through the sheep gate. Not even meant for humans but rather meant for sheep that were to be sacrificed to atone for sin. The sheep gate lead directly into the temple which is why the very next thing Jesus did was turn over the tables of the money changers.
The Kingdom of God is an upside down Kingdom. We must become nothing. We must die.
If I could become the servant of all, no lower place to fall.
MeWithoutYou - January 1979
-Oswald Chambers
Leading in Jesus' eyes is serving.
Being first in Jesus' eyes is being last.
Being great in Jesus' eyes is being least.
Jesus' eyes are the only pair that matter.
Jesus calls us to be forgotten on this earth. To never let your left hand know what your right is giving. To always pray in secret and short. Why take promotions? Why own a smart phone? Why own a phone at all? Why have a facebook? Why put a title before our names?
Christians are called to be nothing. To turn the other cheek, to give to people who cannot repay, to love those who hate us, to die. Nothing glorious about it in our eyes. What would the Pope look like in the eyes of Christ? nothing like what we humans have created.
God was born in a barn. More specifically He was first laid in the food trough of livestock. His mom was pregnant before she was married. He came from Nazareth. The slums of their time.
“Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
-John 1:46
Jesus came as the least to save everyone. We are called to do the same. We aren't called to have a fancy job and use our power and money to fix things. Jesus had the opportunity to turn stones to bread and feed the world. Jesus had the opportunity to have all the kingdoms of the world and their glory but he took neither. (Matthew 4)
Jesus had the opportunity while the crowds were waving palm branches and shouting the war cry of hosanna to lead the people in a revolt and overthrow the powers of earthly authority. As he descended the mount of olives and approached the East Gate or the "Golden Gate" he could have become the leader of the nation and set them free just as gloriously as Moses had the first time.
But what did Jesus do? Instead as he got closer to the city and saw everyone cheering and crying out for revolution and war with the word hosanna, he wept. He cried, "How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace." (Luke 19) Instead of riding in on a war horse he was on a lowly donkey. Instead of entering in through the "Golden Gate" he entered in through the sheep gate. Not even meant for humans but rather meant for sheep that were to be sacrificed to atone for sin. The sheep gate lead directly into the temple which is why the very next thing Jesus did was turn over the tables of the money changers.
The Kingdom of God is an upside down Kingdom. We must become nothing. We must die.
If I could become the servant of all, no lower place to fall.
MeWithoutYou - January 1979