Daily Bread

But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’

The way of Jesus is the antithesis of the way of the world. We honour and praise the rich and famous, whether YouTube influencers, tech billionaires, business moguls, or royalty — and how do we honour and praise them? We put our hope in them, our trust in them, we listen to what they have to say, and we buy their 'products' — whether it is a physical product or a philosophy for life.

I was reminded this week that nearly all those who are rich and famous are there because of luck — being in the right place at the right time. No doubt many of those we esteem have worked hard, but, despite what they may believe is true and what they tell us, it is not hard work alone that got them there but a projection to validate their own self-worth and success. Yet, the same can be true for all of us. We do not have to be rich and famous to carry pride.

There is a line from a song by Christian songwriter Martin Smith that says, "I carry pride like a disease," and it is so true. There is a part of us that wants to be 'great' in the eyes of others, but the truth is that to be great means to be like Jesus, to make ourselves lower that Christ might be elevated higher, and to give ourselves — our skills, our talents, our voice, and our heart — to the service of God and others.

Today, let us reflect on how we can, with humility, be Jesus to the world.

Holy God,
Forgive me when I have carried pride like a disease,
for when I have wanted to be seen as special or great
in the eyes of others.
Help me to see myself as you see me,
as your dear and beloved child,
And in the freedom of that knowledge,
may I serve and love you and others
with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Amen