Fully Paid!

Just as the Son of Man came not to be waited on but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many [the price paid to set them free]. Matthew 20:28 AMPC

We crave attention and recognition. We want to be seen, felt and appreciated. We define our value by our visibility and the accompanying human applause, whilst we simply forget the terms of our salvation and impact. Let's put today's extract in context: 2 out of 12 disciples had come to the Master secretly, seeking preferential treatment and favoured seating at God's right hand. The mother, who came on behalf of her sons, wasn't acting alone, but must have come at the behest of her sons. The other 10 disciples were angry, I'm sure, not because of the request itself, but that it came before theirs. Each of them must have wondered about the same question, and if indeed there was room to contain all of them, as well as the others who will believe like them.

Jesus' response is apt. Being masters is easy, and there are plenty of them. However, service to others is rare, and only a few find it. There are a few places at the 'top' and so many people are fighting to get there. The problem is nobody has defined what that 'top' is. The world recognises and rewards it, but it cannot definitely define it. The men of the world keep running and chasing, never hitting the mark, because it is an illusion. In Christ, the way to the 'top' is down in the trenches of service. As I seek to serve others, God seeks to make my life a blessing. Visibility is man's term; impact is God's term. You can be visible yet make minimal impact, but with God,  impact is all you make.

Jesus' example too speaks volumes. He had so much glory, yet he left it all because of me. He came down to earth to serve and give his life, and he paid the full ransom for my life. I was bound in sin and death, but his death and life sealed my redemption and guaranteed my own life. If his life cannot end, so also all who have entrusted their lives to him are safe from the power of death. As gratitude, he asks me to serve, to spend that life in behalf of other people, to bear trials and tribulations as part of that call. Service is the part to glory, but by the world's standards but by God's standards. Fortunately, only God's standards will stand the test of time. Make sure you are on the right side. His time of favour is here.