The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:28 [NASB])
It’s Christmas morning. Children run through the house with
excitement emanating from their eyes, hands, voices, and feet. They can’t sit
still. They can’t stop talking. They wonder what present they will receive this
year. The family sits in the Christmas room. As established by family custom,
the youngest gives the presents to each person. She is so excited to see what
everyone receives that she almost drops the boxes because of her jittering
hands. With great anticipation and eyes alight, little sister opens her boxed
present to find an envelope. Gleefully, she finds an envelope in the box. The envelope
holds $10. Big sister, with great excitement, rips open her box. With
expectation of what she might find, she notices an envelope, too. Her envelope crinkles
and crackles as she rips it open and pulls out ten one-dollar bills. She looks
up with joy and tears. Mom opens her boxed present careful not to tear the
paper. Once she removes the tape on the box, she, too, finds an envelope. Yes,
she has money! She counts it with surprise, gasps, and realizes she has $10.
Dad, with wonder about these gifts, opens his box and finds the expected
envelope. He hopes for greater things than what he has seen come from his family’s
envelopes. Dad takes a deep breath of anticipation then carefully pulls the edges
of the envelope flap from the back of the envelope and peeks inside. He exhales
and looks down sadly. Dad, too, received $10.
So often, each of us compares our own self to another person.
We try to do better than that person so we can have a greater reward-more
money, bigger bonus, elevated title, bigger house, etc. These things Jesus did
not teach or live out as an example for us. Jesus did not choose to live in a
mansion as a king or leader. He did not choose to exist with only the washed
and wealthy. Jesus did not choose His friends from among the elite in society.
He did not die from old age and receive praise at His funeral service. Jesus
was born to a carpenter’s family and lived in the northern kingdom of Israel.
He chose not to have a house to call home. Jesus chose to be around fishermen
and their odor, lepers and their decaying smell, prostitutes and their obvious
sin, tax collectors and the hatred they received, the poor and their shortage, and
the sick with their infirmity. He lived among the people who had no influence
and called to every person hoping they would to listen to Him. Finally, though
as a man who would want to die from old-age causes and receive praise for His
good deeds, Jesus died a torturous death of hanging by nails on a wooden cross and
suffocating.
God could have sent Jesus to live a gracious lifestyle of
affluence, but He didn’t. He could have had mercy on His Son and not let Him be
crushed by the hatred of His own people and their leaders, but He didn’t. God could
have lifted Him above the earth physically, so Jesus didn’t have to die a
crucifixion, but He didn’t. God’s plan was greater than we could think or
imagine. It included love, forgiveness, mercy, and grace for all people. His
reward for believers in Jesus Christ is the same for all sinners, not just the
obvious ones, but also the hypocritical ones, the ones with “hidden” sins. His
reward is the same for the person who had been a Christian for 60 years or for just
the last breath on earth. Jesus came for
all people so that every person could have forgiveness of sin, receive
salvation, and be given eternal life. Those are the rewards, the only ones with
eternal value.
The mother of James and John asked Jesus for an honor for
her sons (Matthew 20:20-23). She asked for them to sit on each side of Jesus
when His kingdom came. Jesus explained this reward is not for Him to give. Did
that mean He did not love James and John enough to give them this blessing? No,
she was thinking in worldly terms. She was trying to advance her sons to CEO or
COO or President, when, in God’s kingdom, no titles, bonuses, bigger houses, or
higher statuses exist. God gives reward, eternal rewards.
Jesus told about a land owner who hired day workers for his
vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16). This land owner paid the ones who worked an eight-hour
day the same as he paid the one who worked one hour. The vineyard owner is
fair. He pays-rewards-the same for the same work. James and John were disciples
of Jesus just as were Peter, Andrew, and countless other believers over the
last almost 2000 years. God decides each person’s reward. As believers in Jesus
Christ, we know the reward, just like the denarius the land owner agreed to
give his day workers. The reward is forgiveness of sins, mercy, grace, love, and
eternal life.
Jesus explained in Matthew 20:24-28 for what each person
alive on earth should strive. He explained the Gentiles (non-believers) lord
their position, title, power, and money over their constituents. It should not
be this way among Jesus believers. Instead, Jesus’ followers should serve
others. Instead of seeking a greater reward for being a leader among Christians
or for being a Christian longer or doing more work for the Lord, these believers,
all believers, should imitate Christ. He did not come to live in a mansion,
rule over people, associate only with the wealthy and influencers, and wear
fine clothes. He came to heal the sick, give sight to the blind, live as a
common man, have no house to call home, live among the lowly, sick, unclean,
and outcasts. Jesus explained in Matthew 20:26-28 what the standard is for the
Christian. He said, “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your
servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as
the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as
a ransom for many.”
Now consider this. Are we like the daughters and mother on
Christmas morning? Does the anticipation meet or surpass our expectations? Do
we realize our gain is better and greater than we could have imagined? They did
not expect money. The girls and mother did not know what to expect, but what
they received was more than what they had. They were not downcast or
disappointed. Alternatively, are we like the girl’s father? Did we expect
something great after a hard year of working to provide and then, upon seeing
what each person received, expect something greater? That tells of a person’s
estimation of him or herself in relation to others. We should not be comparing
ourselves to others, but to the Author of creation and each of us.
Seek to serve and not be served.
Consider yourself less than others.
Then, when you receive a
blessing, a reward, be excited!
Be elated! Be thankful!
Jesus stopped and called them (two blind men), and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.” Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes, and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him. (Matthew 20:32-34 [NASB])
Lord, forgive me. I expect things-praise, rewards, prestige-for doing
things. I seek to be noticed and considered better than others. That is not why
You created me. That is not the purpose You had for each of us. Forgive me for
thinking better of myself than I am. Help me to seek to bring You glory, not
myself. Lord, touch the eyes of my heart and make me see You and follow You. Help
me to choose Your will, not mine. Help me to be humble and willing to empty
myself as Jesus did for me. I am not worthy to be called Your child, but You
call me that anyway. You are worthy to be called Master, Lord, and King and I
often forget. Lead me in Your paths. Use me for Your will. May Your will be
done on earth as it is in heaven. Thank you, Lord. Amen.
