"But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief as he that doth serve." Luke 22:26
Good morning, friends!
For years I have listened to ridiculous arguments about what causes sibling rivalry. Some claim it is an attention-getter. Some state it is the natural byproduct of the instinctive "pecking order," with one child or another seeking dominance because SOMEONE has to be the leader.
I do not wonder anymore about WHAT causes sibling rivalry. The real cause?
Having more than one child.
At some point or another my children have discussed among themselves and in accusations to us, "So and so is your favorite! You love (this child) more than you love me. You let him/her do things you never let us do."
(To be honest, my favorite child is the one who NEVER brings up this discussion again. EVER)
The only thing worse than seeing this discussion among children in the same family is hearing this same discussion coming from adult lips.
"The pastor likes you better because he lets you..."
"The pastor's wife spends more time with you than..."
"Why was SHE asked to sing a special song?"
"Why did they let HER lead the Bible study?"
Worse yet, I bring these same thoughts to the Lord:
"Why don't I have (this blessing)? Why don't I have this talent? Why can't I lead someone to the Lord? Why don't I..." The list goes on and on.
Sibling rivalry, grown-up style, in the family of God, is a very sad thing indeed.
There are many sad occasions in the last days of Jesus's life here on earth. As I am reading in Luke in preparation for Easter, I have arrived at the chapter that describes the last supper He had with His disciples. What should have been a sobering time, a prayerful time, a watchful time, became a moment of dispute and tension among his disciples.
(Ah, sometimes the holidays just bring out that something special in folks, don't they?)
In Luke 22 we read about Jesus confiding again in His disciples that one of them sitting at the very table with them would betray Him. That should have been enough to give them pause. Any one of them could have been guilty of the betrayal that Judas accomplished later that evening.
Their discussion that followed however, was also a telling betrayal, of all that Jesus had been attempting to teach them:
Which disciple is the greatest?
Jesus's response to the disciples is a gracious rebuke. Using Himself as the example to follow, He instructed them:
"For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth." (Luke 22:27)
When I think of all that Jesus gave up when He left heaven to come to earth, I am amazed again at the depth of His love for His creation. When I think of Jesus's humble attitude here on earth, submitting to unjust treatment and unfair laws--He who is King and Lord over all--I am astonished at His servanthood.
Jesus continued, "And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
Jesus reminded them, as I often do to my children, that they are ALL His favorites. ALL of them will one day inherit eternal life, ALL of them will rule and reign with Him, ALL of them will enjoy eternal favor and blessing, because they "continued with (him) in (his) temptations." (Luke 22:28)
Every blessing that they enjoyed, came first because Jesus loved them enough to come, and then die, for them.
The next time I am tempted to ask the Lord if He is playing favorites with His children, may I be reminded that everything that I am, and have, is a gift from His hand. Jesus is the one who makes any good thing that I am able to do possible.
May I silence that childish "Who is the most loved?" voice in my heart, once and for all.
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