In the past months, I've gone from Kings to Chronicles, from Acts to Romans. And in between many Psalms & Proverbs.
Especially in Proverbs, we are called to distinguish between the wise and the folly; the righteous and the wicked; the truth-seeking, hard-working and the arrogant & lazy.
In the Old Testament, there appears a clear-cut through-line: either you are 'this', or you are 'that'. Either you're rich, or you're poor. Either you're generous or stingy. Either you're the master or you're the servant.
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are four accounts of the one true salvation story. And I will certainly write on them at another stage. These four written testimonies describe Jesus' ministry in different, unique ways. But one thing stood out for me: Jesus is seen as both 'servant' AND 'king'.
In the Old Testament, Israel demands a king. God and His commandments...and His 'judges' are not enough. People, seemingly, are happy to bow down and serve a king. This attitude has not changed over the centuries. Only today, we have presidents and other political powers. We don't necessarily bow down to them. But their governance affects us!
Earthly governance was never perfect. Neither David nor Solomon were flawless leaders. And they were 'anointed'. And they did good, most of the time. And they had God on their side.
But after a good leader has come along, it will be followed by many bad leaders. Politically speaking, one always has to clean up the mess of the predecessor before one can establish one's own ideas & interests.
Jesus was and is King. He's the Son of Man. But he was born in a stable, not a castle. His family was poor. He became a refugee and an outcast. He then studied and became a rabbi...placing himself in the middle of the social spectrum.
His most powerful weapon wasn't a sword, but the words that came out His mouth. No fiery tongue, but a well of wisdom offering living water to all who are thirsty.
He had no army of soldiers, but a group of loyal followers who bore witness to His authenticity.
He had no stronghold, but wherever He walked, lives were touched and walls came down. (Isaiah 52:7 "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news.")
Jesus did not come to tame us, but to stir us up in our hearts. He didn't come just to rule us, but also to serve. You give and you take...
He didn't bring death. He brought life.
Through Jesus, the Jewish lines of distinction became blurred. He came to earth as servant king, to be crucified as a common criminal, without having committed any crime, and overcame death once and for all.
Money & (political) power corrupts. Jesus knew that. However, He is the only one who could have handled that corrupting power. Instead, He chose not to.
Why?
Because there's one thing more powerful than earthly treasures. The WORD.
Money didn't exist in the beginning. Power didn't exist in the beginning (although God certainly is power!). Yet, the word was there in the beginning (Genesis 1). And the word can never be destroyed or silenced.
Of course the word was followed by examples. If Jesus had been all talk without action, He might have had a problem. Today, Christianity is what it is thanks to the testimonies of our brothers and sisters throughout the ages. People have witnessed miracles...the (positive) change, which the Holy Spirit brings, and they've gone out to share it with others.
God, the Father, created the word. Jesus, the Son, imparted the word. And the Holy Spirit grows the word inside of us.
So the servant king truly is the alpha & omega...the A to Z. He cannot be confined! He will wash your feet and at the same time ask you to step out of the boat. He will turn your water into wine and then tell you that the wine is His blood.
He was created by the Creator. Therefore, his reign was the most creative and His kingship challenged everyone's 'boxed-in' ideologies. He served us the word and we are asked to live off it (Matthew 4:4).
Our words are powerful. Watch out how you use them...
Especially in Proverbs, we are called to distinguish between the wise and the folly; the righteous and the wicked; the truth-seeking, hard-working and the arrogant & lazy.
In the Old Testament, there appears a clear-cut through-line: either you are 'this', or you are 'that'. Either you're rich, or you're poor. Either you're generous or stingy. Either you're the master or you're the servant.
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are four accounts of the one true salvation story. And I will certainly write on them at another stage. These four written testimonies describe Jesus' ministry in different, unique ways. But one thing stood out for me: Jesus is seen as both 'servant' AND 'king'.
In the Old Testament, Israel demands a king. God and His commandments...and His 'judges' are not enough. People, seemingly, are happy to bow down and serve a king. This attitude has not changed over the centuries. Only today, we have presidents and other political powers. We don't necessarily bow down to them. But their governance affects us!
Earthly governance was never perfect. Neither David nor Solomon were flawless leaders. And they were 'anointed'. And they did good, most of the time. And they had God on their side.
But after a good leader has come along, it will be followed by many bad leaders. Politically speaking, one always has to clean up the mess of the predecessor before one can establish one's own ideas & interests.
Jesus was and is King. He's the Son of Man. But he was born in a stable, not a castle. His family was poor. He became a refugee and an outcast. He then studied and became a rabbi...placing himself in the middle of the social spectrum.
His most powerful weapon wasn't a sword, but the words that came out His mouth. No fiery tongue, but a well of wisdom offering living water to all who are thirsty.
He had no army of soldiers, but a group of loyal followers who bore witness to His authenticity.
He had no stronghold, but wherever He walked, lives were touched and walls came down. (Isaiah 52:7 "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news.")
Jesus did not come to tame us, but to stir us up in our hearts. He didn't come just to rule us, but also to serve. You give and you take...
He didn't bring death. He brought life.
Through Jesus, the Jewish lines of distinction became blurred. He came to earth as servant king, to be crucified as a common criminal, without having committed any crime, and overcame death once and for all.
Money & (political) power corrupts. Jesus knew that. However, He is the only one who could have handled that corrupting power. Instead, He chose not to.
Why?
Because there's one thing more powerful than earthly treasures. The WORD.
Money didn't exist in the beginning. Power didn't exist in the beginning (although God certainly is power!). Yet, the word was there in the beginning (Genesis 1). And the word can never be destroyed or silenced.
Of course the word was followed by examples. If Jesus had been all talk without action, He might have had a problem. Today, Christianity is what it is thanks to the testimonies of our brothers and sisters throughout the ages. People have witnessed miracles...the (positive) change, which the Holy Spirit brings, and they've gone out to share it with others.
God, the Father, created the word. Jesus, the Son, imparted the word. And the Holy Spirit grows the word inside of us.
So the servant king truly is the alpha & omega...the A to Z. He cannot be confined! He will wash your feet and at the same time ask you to step out of the boat. He will turn your water into wine and then tell you that the wine is His blood.
He was created by the Creator. Therefore, his reign was the most creative and His kingship challenged everyone's 'boxed-in' ideologies. He served us the word and we are asked to live off it (Matthew 4:4).
Our words are powerful. Watch out how you use them...
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