Truth #55 - To be first, you have to be last - Matthew 20-22

Matthew 20:28
even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The truth is, in the world we live in today, the system is Hierarchal in nature: Those with the most power are at the top.  That is our system.  The boss sits in the nicest office.   The leaders get the most privileges.   The people at the top get the most prestige, power, possessions, property and privilege.  We are not told to descend the ladder, we are to climb the ladder.   We don't want out kids to be last in the class, we want them to graduate top in the class.   We rush to be first in line at the concert.   We hurry to be top of the list for the best vacation spots and times.   But, that is an upside down truth in Christianity.   The real truth in the world of faith is that those who serve the most are most like Jesus.   Jesus left the halls of heaven and the freedom of deity to take on a body that would constrain Him and a mind that would attempt to limit Him.  Jesus, who made the heavens and the earth would sleep on the earth and under the open sky because He had no place to call His home.   Jesus who made water would desire it on the cross, only to be given vinegar.   In the above passage we are told that Jesus was the Servant and that was the purpose of His coming to earth.  No other religion has this mindset for their god.   All other religions show an "ascending" god or leader.  They indicate that their leader is ascending up, whereas Christianity says their God descended down.   Even a man-made religion doesn't think of a serving God, they create a prestigious god.   Yet, that is not Jesus words.  He came not to be served, but to serve.   Yet, we are told that He created all things and deserves to have all power and recognition for the place He actually holds in the universe.  Look what Paul says about Jesus' station in this world:

Colossians 1:15-18
The Preeminence of Christ
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

Note Paul's conclusion of Christ's station in life: "that in everything He might be preeminent!!"   The truth is, that those who wish to be the greatest must follow the example of Christ and be the servant all.   Jesus is preeminent because He created the universe and, through His death, is the firstborn of all creation.   He paid the price and now is the "head of the body, the church."   If we wish to be great, we must first be the servant.  Those who give their lives for others are honored in our country.   The reason?  That is the example of what Christ did for us.   We must walk in His steps.   If we wish to be like Him we have to be willing to take upon His attitude.   Serving others is the way to climb the ladder.