A family with a special need gets a new home. That's the basic premise of the popular television program, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition". Builders and community volunteers rally to build a new home for a needy family, and the final product is a showcase home that's as much a tribute to the builders as it is a gift to the family in need. Were it not for the labor of the builders there would be no home - or this television program.
The writer of Hebrews calls us to consider the house and builder analogy:
"Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house--whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end." (Hebrews 3:1-6)
It's really all about the Builder. There are various homes and heads of households, but it's the Builder who truly matters. And in this we are called to consider the example of Jesus, the head of the household called the Church.
Jesus is faithful to the One who called Him, just as Moses was over the Law of which God made him "head of the household". But that which Jesus is Head of is vastly superior to that of Moses. Moses was a servant in charge of a household; Jesus is the Son in charge of His Father's house.
From Jesus we learn the important lesson of submission to authority. He clearly knew His role and position and often spoke of imitating His Father and deriving His authority from His Father (i.e., John 5:19, 30). As Jesus submitted to His Father's authority, so we are called to submit both to Jesus, our Master, and God, our Father, as the ultimate Builder of all things.
Submission doesn't come easy. To submit we must be willing to humbly acknowledge superior authority over us. And yet the prized creation of God was willing to humble Himself and assume the role of a lowly servant (Philippians 2:5-11). Through submission God elevated Him to the highest position of all - second only to the Father Himself.
We are ultimately exalted through submission as well. As we submit to the authority over us and to the members of the Church, the body of Christ, God is faithful to exalt our position. The way of greatness is the way of servant hood.
Many (maybe all) people secretly, if not blatantly, desire to be great. That drive for greatness leads to assertiveness and aggressiveness, which is the source of nearly all conflict and war. Yet amidst the personal drive for greatness are those who choose the path of Christ - greatness through humility and servant hood. It's not the easiest path in life, but it certainly is the ultimately rewarding one.
May the path be pleasant and fulfilling today, fellow servants.
Steve
The writer of Hebrews calls us to consider the house and builder analogy:
"Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house--whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end." (Hebrews 3:1-6)
It's really all about the Builder. There are various homes and heads of households, but it's the Builder who truly matters. And in this we are called to consider the example of Jesus, the head of the household called the Church.
Jesus is faithful to the One who called Him, just as Moses was over the Law of which God made him "head of the household". But that which Jesus is Head of is vastly superior to that of Moses. Moses was a servant in charge of a household; Jesus is the Son in charge of His Father's house.
From Jesus we learn the important lesson of submission to authority. He clearly knew His role and position and often spoke of imitating His Father and deriving His authority from His Father (i.e., John 5:19, 30). As Jesus submitted to His Father's authority, so we are called to submit both to Jesus, our Master, and God, our Father, as the ultimate Builder of all things.
Submission doesn't come easy. To submit we must be willing to humbly acknowledge superior authority over us. And yet the prized creation of God was willing to humble Himself and assume the role of a lowly servant (Philippians 2:5-11). Through submission God elevated Him to the highest position of all - second only to the Father Himself.
We are ultimately exalted through submission as well. As we submit to the authority over us and to the members of the Church, the body of Christ, God is faithful to exalt our position. The way of greatness is the way of servant hood.
Many (maybe all) people secretly, if not blatantly, desire to be great. That drive for greatness leads to assertiveness and aggressiveness, which is the source of nearly all conflict and war. Yet amidst the personal drive for greatness are those who choose the path of Christ - greatness through humility and servant hood. It's not the easiest path in life, but it certainly is the ultimately rewarding one.
May the path be pleasant and fulfilling today, fellow servants.
Steve
posted by steve @ 10:13 AM
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