Although my husband and I officially moved into our house about six months ago, everything is still mostly a mess. Our office in particular looks like it just held a vicious match between two WWF wrestlers, which isn't too far from the truth since my husband and brother wrestle in there every weekend.
I was in said office trying to write a paper in under an hour when I got side tracked (of course) looking at the knick knacks we have sprawled out all over the desk. Among those things I found a program a few years old saved from a young youth pastor's funeral. He was a 22-year-old newlywed when he died; his church and his youth group had a hard time coping with the loss. As I looked at the smiling photo on the cover, something struck me as strange: right under the young man's joyful portrait was written, "The Greatest Man to Ever Live."
I think we have the tendency to focus on a person's good qualities after they die, and there's nothing wrong with that. Its not wrong to remember the good times spent and honor the person's life and great things they did, specially if it was a life lived for the glory of God.
Reading John 1:51 today made me think of something, though: why does Jesus call himself the Son of Man? "Son of God" is complex, but still relatively easy to understand. What's with the "Son of Man" title?
The gist of it is that he is the greatest man to ever live. There has never been and never will be a greater man than Christ. He is the only one who could live a life perfect before the eyes of God, the only one who never sinned and never failed, the only one who could provide salvation from sin and its eternal punishment. He is God in the flesh, manifested in a human body without giving up his godhood. Who could ever be greater than him?
We have to be careful to always keep our focus on Christ. No matter how wonderful a person is or was, they are no comparison to Jesus. I love my husband with all my heart and think I'm the luckiest girl for being his wife, but I know he can't compete with Jesus in the greatness department. I have to remember that about myself too. I'm in no way even close to being as great as my Savior, no matter what good things I do. Only he can claim to be the best person to ever lay foot on this planet.
1 comments:
I remember that pastor but I never had officially met him. I only attended his funeral. It was sad but people were hopeful. His funeral also brought back an old friendship(s)
"No matter how wonderful a person is or was, they are no comparison to Jesus."
Amen. I believe what Paul Washer said once (and I'll paraphrase it), "There are no great men of God, only a mighty God using sinful men."
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