Upside Down

“The rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must 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.” (Matthew 20:25–28, NIV 1984).

My Musings – God incarnate. Jesus the second person of the of the triune God. “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6–8, NIV 1984).

His nature, the main characteristic that defines His being, is “all the fullness of the Deity…in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9, NIV 1984). Not some of the nature, but “all the fullness.” “All” could have stood alone. “Fullness” could have stood alone. Yet, as if to underscore His holiness, “all the fullness.” Standing in stark contrast to “taking the very nature of a servant.” Servant of whom? Mankind. Created beings. “For by him all things [all includes us] were created…by him and for him.” (Colossians 1:16, NIV 1984).

My Advice – “Created by Him and for Him.” Yet “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom.” Let’s put away any notion the God owes us anything. Just because He chose to turn things upside down, let’s not think for a minute that we can “turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘He did not make me?’ Can the pot say of the potter, ‘He knows nothing?'” (Isaiah 29:16, NIV 1984). Can the created say to the Creator “you owe me?”