“...whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to Serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” - Matthew 20:27-28 (NASB)
From the day we enter the system of formal education we're under pressure to be first. We need competition it to sharpen our skills but the top gets rather crowded when everyone seeks to be there. The “first among you” that Jesus speaks in this verse is more like the first one recognized, being on the most magazine covers, and having the most 'likes' or 'followers.' or achieving 'influencer' status. As a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, we are called to not strive to be first among others. The way to being first in God's family is to serve, to sacrifice, to pour our lives into the work of proclaiming the message of Jesus Christ. Helping brothers and sisters along the way. This is just not the way of the world. The world will leave us behind if we do this, but it is the way of Christ. And with Christ, who gave His life a ransom for many, we will be blessed and receive honor from Him when we receive it from no one else. That is our promise which this teaching verse us to.
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