It's probably true of most of us that we neither feel the least nor the greatest, neither completely sinful nor completely holy. Instead, we find ourselves in the precarious position somewhere in between. For when we allow ourselves to be the least, we are often lifted up to be the greatest. When we recognize our sin and God's amazing grace to cover that, His holy spirit makes us holy.
The power of the least...
The beauty of the sinful...
Our Bible reveals the lovely, surprising and amazing power that Jesus has to change and transform the labels we fit into.
From the Least
A Scaredy Cat and a King
17 Samuel summoned the people of Israel to the LORD at Mizpah 18 and said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and all the kingdoms that oppressed you.' 19 But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out of all your calamities and distresses. And you have said, 'No, set a king over us.' So now present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans."
20 When Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen. 21 Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and Matri's clan was chosen. Finally Saul son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found. 22 So they inquired further of the LORD, "Has the man come here yet?"
And the LORD said, "Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage."
23 They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he was a head taller than any of the others. 24 Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see the man the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people."
Then the people shouted, "Long live the king!"
25 Samuel explained to the people the regulations of the kingship. He wrote them down on a scroll and deposited it before the LORD. Then Samuel dismissed the people, each to his own home.
26 Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched. 27 But some troublemakers said, "How can this fellow save us?" They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent. -1 Samuel 10:17-27
Amazing but true. Here we find an example of a scared-y cat. I'm sure Saul would've been made fun of on the playground for his antics. He was hiding behind the luggage when Samuel appointed him king in front of the people! Could you imagine: Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you... the president of the United States of America. And there he is, hiding among the hedges in the rose garden... walking out timidly as his name is mentioned. I'm sure that our response might be similar: "How can this fellow lead us?"
But here lies the beauty of God's power to take the least and transform it into the greatest. Moses, Saul, Joseph, Mary... in Mary's song, she praises God for how He takes His humble servant and lifts her up to a place of honor. And He still does this today. Are you feeling a little downtrodden, a little less-than at work, at home, at school? Do you feel that people say,
"How can this little fellow/lady ______?"
do a PhD
lead a congregation
sell timeshares in a bad economy
complete comprehensive exams
The answer is clear... God's power will take any "little fellow" to the place of greatness... allow Him to work through you.
A Child and Jesus
46An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest."
49"Master," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us."
50"Do not stop him," Jesus said, "for whoever is not against you is for you." -Luke 9:46-49
Again, it's important to remember that during this time children and women had no place at all. They weren't allowed to speak in the presence of adults. They belonged to a very different sphere. Jesus here lifts up two very important different types of people: children and outsiders.
The children, who were not even a part of society yet, are placed in a place of honor. After all... "welcoming a child" is like "welcoming [Jesus]". How important it becomes to treat someone that would be shut out of the conversation in a respectful way. I don't believe that here Jesus is only referring to children, but all of those that would be shut out of the conversation.
And the second, the outsider, mentioned just after this portion of scripture would confirm this. The disciples knew what Jesus wanted them to do, but they were upset and others, outsiders, who were doing things in Jesus name. Was this allowed? How could this be? Wasn't this "their" job? But Jesus tells them to 'let them be.' These 'outsiders' may not be outsiders at all. After all, the blessing of Jesus gift is that there are no longer any outsiders... we are all welcomed in... strangers, children, weak, young... there are no excluding factors.
From the Sinful
Sinful but Serving
20 "Do not be afraid," Samuel replied. "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. 21 Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. 22 For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own. 23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. 24 But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. 25 Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away." -1 Samuel 12:20-25
Sinful but Following
41"O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here."-Luke 9:41
57As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."
58Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
59He said to another man, "Follow me."
But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
60Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
61 Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."
62Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."-Luke 9:57-62
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