Great to be a Servant

Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; Matthew 20:26

This is the world of the world.

The great men deserve to be served. You see them with bodyguard, opening their car door for them. You see them coming in to that building, his aide clasp the door knob for him and sways the door wide. He sits and his hot coffee waiting for him, earlier his assistant made it for him. He points to something and that something is brought by somebody to him. He calls somebody and that somebody approaches him with awe and awaits the orders of this great man.

That is not Jesus' world.

He said whoever wants to be great shall be the servant. Greatness is hopping into the vehicle after all has taken their seat, he gets the most uncomfortable place in the house. Greatness is when you open doors for people, he doesn't closes out on them. Greatness is putting food and water into somebody's mouth. He points to something and he goes to that direction. He calls somebody and he comes to the feet of that somebody.

May I introduce you to greatness...

• The mother who gave up her exciting career for her children.
• The father who plays with his kids, dances with them after a full day at work.
• The old driver of the vehicle where the youth of the church are in going to their field trip after all the Sunday services. That driver is their pastor.
• The young professional who goes to the inner city mission office to teach young kids about math.
• The medical worker who visits her old and sickly neighbor, cares for her for free.
• The young boy who sell lemonade during summer, keeps his income not for himself but for charity.
• The young girl who celebrated her birthday, her gifts given to the orphanage.

No position required. No age limit. No office hours.

Jesus calls them servant. Jesus calls them great.

It's great to be a servant. For to be a servant, you must be great.

Smallest

It was not because you are the largest of all nations that the LORD set his heart on you and chose you, for you are really the smallest of all nations. Deuteronomy 7:7

Insignificant.

That's me.

We traveled along the so-called Endless Mountains, these humongous pile of sand, a usual thought came unto me -- the revelation of how small am I. Every time I travel, I see how big is this world. I go to this place and see the vast seas, I realize how tiny is my space. How unnoticed my weight is, whenever I jump to rebound the basketball and come back to the ground, the earth doesn't budge at all. I breathe and exhale and the world's oxygen doesn't move it's gauge.

Yet God set his heart on the small, in fact the smallest. He does not go for the bigggies, he chooses the smallest.

Put yourself in those endless mountains and God's eyes will zoom in into you. This world maybe large but your tiny space is next to his. You are just a mere dust in the oceans, however, God dives into it to search for you, to be with you. You seem to be weightless, yet God carries you gently and lovingly. He gives you this much amount of air, schedules it second by second, minute by minute.

It's good to be small, after all.

Nobody said it will be easy

Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." Matthew 8:20

You've seen these.

He came in late or his flight was delayed. He had to spend the night at the airport. Nowhere to go, he has to spend somewhere near the boarding gate or at the most comfortable place where he can rest - airport chair. When the dark hits the sky, his eyelids begin to fall. His head searches for the best fitting curve at the curve of the chair made of steel and plastic. He can also settle at the corner of the dim lighted room to keep his head from falling. Though his head does not really feel the comfort unlike kissing his pillow, his head rest at least for some time.

She was caught in the traffic thus she did not catch the bus. It was a holiday so people flocked the ticket booths. She had to settle to wait for an overnight at the station in order to ride the first trip. Her back looks for the bench. Her head bends down towards the top of this hardwood chair. During the day, these are for sitting. At this certain night, these would be the best bed she can have to rest her head. Hard not soft yet her head finds comfort even for this time.

That is comfort. That is rest.

Jesus' disciples know none of these. Jesus admonished his would be followers about this, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." No steel chair. No hardwood bench. No corner of the room. Nowhere to rest his head.

If you are not comfortable, you are in his company. If you are comfortable, check the distance between you and Jesus. Following him requires persistence and perseverance. There is no comfort zone in his presence, there are challenges to overcome. There is no worldly rest, only heavenly peace. There is no easy trail, only rough roads to conquer.

If you get tired, be strengthened by his grace. If you get disappointed, be enlightened by his wisdom. Just fix your eyes on him. Follow him, no matter what. Serve him, whatever the cost. Love him, above all else.

You need to do that.

Jesus did not say it will be easy.

Nobody said it will be easy.

Being One

He asked for a tablet and wrote, "John is his name," and all were amazed. Luke 1:63

They were one.

Elizabeth voiced it out. Zechariah has to write it down. Their relatives questioned it first, but were amazed at the second time. They might have different expressions but they had one direction. This couple are coupled with God's intention. This husband and his wife are married to God's plan. No outside forces can break their unity with the Father. Nobody or nothing can come in between their bond with the Giver of life.

We can be one. With God. And with one another.

In our homes, live for unity among your spouse and your children in following God. Even as one family, recognize each others individuality. Even having one blood, our expressions of love may differ from one another. Let go of preferences. Do not burden one another of menial matters.

In our church, serve with one heart and mind. We come from different backgrounds. We come with different gifts and skills. We come serving only one God. Accept and acknowledge each others contribution. Small or big role is still a role to play. Styles don't matter, what is important is we serve together.

In our offices, work for harmonious secular place. No company succeeds when divided. No company fails when united. Work on and look for similarities rather than opposite characteristics. Complement one another rather than compete with one another.

Someone will speak. Someone will write. Somebody will sing. Somebody will arrange. Somebody will do something. All can be one. All will be one. All must be one.

And all will be amazed.

Father's Day

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. John 3:16

He sacrificed for his children.

He is my father. He wakes up early. Eats some food, he provided from his pocket. He is getting ready to go to the store/shop where he is the owner, manager, salesman, utility man, accountant, public relations, etc. He goes to this place not with a car to ride but bundles of textile riding him. He shoulders rolls of materials for jeans and upper wear so his family can shoulder day to day living. He opens and closes the shop as he opens the future for his eight kids. At the end of the day, no beer or any vice to color his monotonous life but rather goes straight home to rest his tired body. No fanfare when he comes home, just a house full of imperfect children. Imperfect as they commit mistakes not following his directions. Milking from his sacrifices day in and day out, they give him reason for him to stop what he is doing but he doesn't.

I was thinking, how can he do this?

I answered myself -- he must have followed God's footprints.

He gave his only Son for he so loved the world. The world is us. Imperfect us. He rides on the clouds yet our sins burden him. He carried us from our iniquities by giving his Son, his only Son. No day, we don't falter. No hour, we don't commit mistakes in his eyes. We justify our action saying we are only humans. Yet, the Father continues to do what he does -- loving his imperfect adopted children. And his love is not only given just for us the experience it, it is given for us for our eternal  future. The human father works for a limited future for his children, but our heavenly Father works for an unlimited future for you and me. He opened the eternal gates for us to enter through Jesus Christ.

All the Father is asking is for you and me to believe. Believe in the Son he gave. Believe in his great love.

I am thinking, why believe in his love?

I answer my question again...

He sacrificed his only Child.