Not So With You Series

Don’t you just love what Jesus said to her. "These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."

Or in other words, "I’m sorry, madam, but I’m not in charge of advanced placement. That’s the Father’s job. Besides, once you realize what it means to be at my right and left, you might not be so hot for those places anyway."

People like position because it brings honor. People like power because it means control. People like money because it buys status.

We want those things because we want to make a mark. We want to leave a legacy. We want people to know we were here when we’re gone. We want to be missed. And we think that the best way to make that mark and leave that legacy and have the big funeral is to become important. To become great.

But the problem is that Jesus’ definition of great and ours aren’t exactly in the same hemisphere. He said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you."

Most people think that the way to make a mark is to accumulate as much authority and power as possible.

Not so with you, Jesus said. You do it differently, like Booker T. Washington. Shortly after he took over the presidency of Tuskegee Institute here in Alabama, he was walking in an exclusive section of town when a wealthy white woman stopped him. Not knowing the famous Mr. Washington by sight, she asked if he would like to earn a few dollars by chopping wood for her. Because he had no pressing business at the moment, Professor Washington smiled, rolled up his sleeves, and proceeded to do the humble chore she had requested. When he was finished, he carried the logs into the house and stacked them by the fireplace.

A little girl recognized him and later revealed his identity to the lady.

The next morning the embarrassed woman went to see Me Washington in his office at the Institute and apologized profusely.

"It’s perfectly all right, Madam," he replied. "Occasionally I enjoy a little manual labor Besides, it’s always a delight to do something for a friend." She shook his hand warmly and assured him that his meek and gracious attitude had endeared him and his work to her heart. Not long afterward she showed her admiration by persuading some wealthy acquaintances to join her in donating thousands of dollars to the Tuskegee Institute.

People think the way to leave a mark is through intimidation and control.

Not so with you, Jesus said. You do it differently. Like Teddy Roosevelt. At Sagamore Hill, after an evening of talk, Roosevelt and a friend would go out on the lawn and search the skies for a certain spot of star-like light near the lower left-hand comer of the Great Square of Pegasus. Then Roosevelt would recite:

"That is the Spiral Galaxy in Andromeda. It is as large as our Milky Way. It is one of a hundred million galaxies. It consists of one hundred billion suns, each larger than our sun." Then Roosevelt would grin and say, "Now I think we are small enough! Let’s go to bed."