Up, Up, Down, Down
Jesus, don't let me fear being last, but rather seek it, enjoy it, and accept it as a gift from you to me, and from me to others.
Exactly 100 years ago Wilbur and Orville Wright flew a glider, the first fully controllable aircraft, over the sands of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. They flew their glider over 1,000 times that year, with flights traveling up to 622 feet or lasting as long as 26 seconds.
In today’s world of turbo jets and international airports, that doesn’t sound like much. But the Wright brothers’ glider is what started air travel. Without it, we might not be as advanced today. It set the stage, after all, for their first powered airplane flight in 1903.
Up.
Up.
Up.
Not so with Jesus. His travels set the stage not for something that would take him higher, but instead something that would take him lower. He didn’t insist that he stay in heaven prestigiously at his Father’s side but he took the form of a servant and came to our world. But he didn’t stop there. He again served and disallowed himself many of the luxuries of our world. But he didn’t stop there. In the same spirit of service to others he ignored his need for affirmation and acceptance (from others and from his own human ego) and took care of the helpless, the sick, the blind, the despairing, us sinners of all time.
That’s not just a philanthropic gesture. It took his humiliation. It took his obedience to laws meant for corrupt mortals. It took his death.
Down.
Down.
Down.
Where would we be without Jesus? Lower than we could afford to be. But he’s come down to take us up. Up to be God’s holy children. Up to be a chosen community of believers. Up to be travel-worn disciples and passively-peaceful sheep. Secure in our status with him so that we can go down, down, down and it won’t hurt us. Down to serve, and to help, and to sacrifice ourselves for the good of others.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, you’ve said that the last shall be first. When I strive to be first, direct me downward. Take me gently with your promises of help so that, even understanding the risk, I care for others like you do. Don’t let me fear being last, but rather seek it, enjoy it, and accept it as a gift from you to me, and from me to others. Amen.