Daily Devotions for Difficult Days [126] If you want to be Great

A Bishop at last!

One of my sons has been tracing our family history through ancestry.com. Up until the other day, all he could find were ordinary folk.  I am proud, by the way, to be linked to the greater mass of humanity, and especially since in the household of God there are not many wise, influential or of noble birth (1 Corinthians 1:26).

But all of a sudden in the 15th Century, my son has come across a certain John Carpenter who was made the bishop of Worcester in 1444!  So we have a bishop in the family line, or so it seems. Who knows whether the bloke was a saint or a sinner because in them days, much like today, you could buy high office.

From the Lowest to the Highest

In our meditations on The First Christian Hymn in Philippians 2, we've arrived at the exaltation stage of Jesus' journey of love, "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place."

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

⁶ who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death –
        even death on a cross!

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father."

Paul means what he Writes

The moment we read that line "to the highest place" a few thoughts cross our mind. First, was Jesus exalted to a position above that which he possessed before his mission to earth? Second is he now exalted above God the Father and God the Holy Spirit? Surely not.

The answer to the first question must be no, Jesus was not exalted to a position higher than he had before his mission. Divinity is the most exalted office in the universe, above which there is nothing. Jesus himself prayed, "And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began." (John 17:5).

No, Jesus was not exalted above his previous glory. What happened was that many aspects of his character were revealed to the cosmos that had previously been hidden from view; and this personal revealing can also be regarded as glorifying and exalting.

Before the incarnation we never saw the depths of his self-sacrificing love. Before the incarnation we never the depths he was prepared to humble himself. These divine graces were known within the Godhead but not outside of it. But through his descent into this world his glory has been revealed to us.

And is Jesus now exalted above God the Father and God the Holy Spirit? No, the Three are co-equal in glory and divinity. The highest place cannot be a designation of status in the Godhead. And besides, let us remembder that God the Son is subordinate to God the Father. Instead this must be a description of his exaltation above all of creatures and above all creation, seen and unseen, "far above all rule and authority and every title that can be given, not only in the present age bit in the one to come..." (Ephesians 1:21)

Paul clears up any possible misconceptions about this in 1 Corinthians 15:27-28, when he says that Jesus is not placed above God the Father, instead "the Son will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all."

Because of his willingness to humble himself, God exalted his Son to the Highest Place.

If you want to be Great

We do not want to lose touch with Paul's purpose in writing these high words. Paul is teaching us how to relate to one another. And, he teaches in this part, that if you want to be truly great in the kingdom of God, follow the cue of the master and make yourself a servant. "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant" is how the Lord put it (Matthew 20:26).

There's nothing wrong with wanting greatness in the kingdom of God. He who wants to be an elder, desires a noble task, we read, for example. But the way up is always down.

In the Kingdom of God we descend into greatness.

A SONG FOR THE DAY

Some of my readers will remember this simple song from the 1970s.

If you want to be great
In God's kingdom
Learn to be a servant of all
If you want to be great
In God's kingdom
Learn to be a servant of all

Learn to be a servant of all
Learn to be a servant of all
If you want to be great
In God's kingdom
Learn to be a servant of all

Michael Ryan

Hear it HERE.

A PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Our merciful Father in heaven,

We give you thanks and praise in these unusual days for the ordinary blessings of life. We may not be able to enjoy all the good gifts we normally enjoy but so many ordinary blessings come from your hand day by day.

We thank you for food and drink and a roof over our heads.

And we thank you most of all for the gift of your Son. We thank you today for his example to us. Teach us to encourage one another and teach us to serve one another in this present fallen world, waiting for your exaltation and your "well done."

We ask these things in the name of Jesus,

Amen

Photo by Mitya Ivanov on Unsplash