The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"If He Be the King"
"At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:1-4).
Hmmmm… the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven? Who might that be? Could it be the King Himself, that is, the King who became as a little child?
"Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger… a little Child shall lead them" (Luke 2:12; Isaiah 11:6).
"He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death… Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name above every name" (Philippians 2:8;9).
Devils and humans seek honor through pride, self importance, and grasping for a name and a place. The Lord Jesus Christ sought to honor His Father, and thus viewed lowliness and humility as the perfect means to fulfill His purpose of exalting Another. The disciples clearly did not understand this, nor do we as clearly as we should and must. "The greatest in the kingdom" lived a life of such quiet devotion to God and people that His own brothers did not know who He was when His ministry began (John 7:5). Nothing in the life of the Lord Jesus before His ministry would have identified the baby of the manger as the King of Heaven. In fact, any earthly definition of royalty would have disqualified the Lord Jesus from such an exalted place and position. "If He be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross" cried the mob at Calvary (Matthew 27:42). The same could have been said of so many ways and means of the Lord Jesus during His earthly lifetime. "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord" (Isaiah 55:8).
He presently works in our lives along the same lines. Most of God's doings in the lives of believers happen without the fanfare of a king. We can miss Him if we do not understand this, and we will not see all even if do realize the truth of our Lord's presently quiet and inauspicious way. "We walk by faith, not by sight" (II Corinthians 5:7). The greatest in the kingdom - the King Himself - still veils His royalty in countless ways to make possible our walk in His humility. A far greater glory will one day be revealed because He worked accordingly in His life, and in ours. The realization helps us to better understand why many things happen as they do in this present lifetime, even as Solomon declared...
"Before honor is humility."
(Proverbs 15:33)
Weekly Memory Verse
Before honor is humility.
(Proverbs 15:33)
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