Daily Devotional For Saturday, March 23, 2024

Hey, it’s super Saturday. Maybe you can catch your breath and get some things done that are still on your “to do” list. We all have tasks and responsibilities that at times we do not want to do. For example, we do Westie Rescue. We have two Westies we have rescued named Miss Cali and Spencer. They have to be fed, bathed, and of course loved on in our house. Yet, with two Westies, they can leave a lot of dog poop in the yard. I try on a weekly basis to clean it all up, especially when it is grass mowing season. Now, you’re not going to see me out there singing “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” as I’m doing it. I hate to say that but maybe I should. There are people everywhere who can’t even get out of the bed or a wheelchair . I should be grateful and thankful I can still do this task.

Read Philippians 2:5-8:

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, (6) who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, (7) but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. (8) And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (ESV).

Think about that for a moment. Here is God. Ruler and King of the universe choosing to do something He should not have to choose to do. He became human so that through His death on the cross and His resurrection from the grave He might be able to give us salvation and eternal life. He did not have to do this. Notice it says “He humbled Himself . . .” The key to doing any task you do not want to do is by humbling yourself.

There are tasks at your job, in your home, with your family and friends, even at church that are at times frustrating to do. Sometimes, you may not even want to do them or even resent doing them. Here’s a little motivation and conviction. Read 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (ESV). Notice that — “whatever you do . . . do it for the glory of God.” Does that mean I can personally scoop up dog poop for the glory of God? YES! Now I’m singing. Can you hear me? 

Can I take the trash out for the glory of God? Yes! Can I mow the yard for the glory of God? Yes! Can I go to work for the glory of God? Yes! You and I can do anything . . . well except sin . . . for the glory of God if we choose to do so. This means that there is really nothing that is “beneath us to do,” if we choose to do it for the glory of God. We’ve all run into people who have the big head about what they are willing to do and not do. Their pride swells along with their ego and to them, certain tasks are for others to do — the minions in life. If there is anything beneath you to do, then you do not understand the humility of Jesus Christ.

He did not have to come down to our frail human flesh, live among us, experience the hardships of life as we do and then be murdered for it. Even His own disciples constantly misunderstood Him. A good example of this is in Mark 10, where the disciples attempted to keep children away from Jesus and why not? Jesus was God in human flesh. Didn’t He have more important things to do and more important people to do it with. Children, aren’t they supposed to be seen and not heard? Well, not according to Jesus. Look at Mark 10:13-16:

“And they were bringing children to Him that He might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. (14) But when Jesus saw it, He was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to Me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. (15) Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” (16) And He took them in His arms and blessed them, laying His hands on them” (ESV).

Jesus was indignant? It was very customary in Jesus’ day for parents to bring their children to their Jewish teachers such as rabbis for them to teach, be affectionate towards them and bless them. In a similar vein, the Old Testament records the paternal blessings of their children by Noah (Gen. 9:26–27), Isaac (Gen. 27:1–41), and Jacob (Gen. 49:28). Jesus loved children and the disciples should have remembered that. Why? In the previous chapter we read this in Mark 9:36-37, “And He took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, (37) “Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me” (ESV). 

Matthew 21:15-16 also affirms Jesus’ affection for children. We see this during His triumphant entry for the week of Passover:

“But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, (16) and they said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?” (ESV). 

His affection for children, however, did not make Him naively sentimental about them. Jesus understood that children were sinners, and used a story about peevish and obstinate children to rebuke the Pharisees for their rejection of Him and John the Baptist  in Matthew 11:16–19:

"But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, (17) “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ (18) For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ (19) The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at Him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”

Mark lets us know that parents were bringing their children [παιδίον, paidion] to Jesus. This refers to toddlers, preschoolers and elementary age children. Luke’s Gospel uses a different word. Luke 18:15 says, “Now they were bringing even infants to Him that He might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them” (ESV). “Infants” is the Greek New Testament word [βρέφος, brephos] and it refers to “newborns, babies in the womb, unborn babies, very young infants.” The point is these parents wanted their children to know God and the disciples were trying to stop that. 

Mark records that Jesus became “indignant.” This is the Greek New Testament word [ἀγανακτέω, aganakteo]. This is very strong emotional Greek word. It means “intensely angry, outraged, blow one’s top.” While the disciples felt it was “beneath” Jesus to bless children, hold children and even touch Jesus, Jesus did not. He welcomed it. This shows that Jesus’ rebuke and anger was directed only at His own disciples. How embarrassing that must have been for them to be rebuked by their Master in front of these parents. 

Nothing was said about the spiritual condition of the parents, or whether they were believers or unbelievers. The children’s faith was also a nonissue. Such children are not by conscious choice unbelievers or believers; they can neither receive divine salvation truth, nor reject it because of their inability to understand what sin is fully and their need for salvation. This is why Jesus commanded His disciples to let the children come to Him.

So, on this Saturday, you probably have things that need to get done. Instead of seeing them either beneath you or someone else’s responsibility, do it for the glory of God. Welcome them as Jesus welcomed the children into His arms. I close with this story by Phil Stringer:

“Conventional wisdom says that good things come to those who wait. That axiom rarely applies, however, to the drudgery of domestic air travel as most people go through the modern air travel system. Phil Stringer, however, is not most people. Stringer travels for work quite often. So, when his early morning flight from Oklahoma City to his hometown of Charlotte experienced a maintenance-related flight delay, he took it in stride, relocating from the gate to a nearby Starbucks.

But then the delays continued, dragging on throughout the day. Eventually he outlasted the staff at the airport Starbucks, who had to kick him out so they could close. When he finally heard the boarding call, however, he was confused.

Stringer said in an interview, "I had thought that everyone had boarded and I was late, because no one was there But [the gate agent] was like, 'No, honey, you're the only one left.'" Everyone else, fed up with the lengthy delays, had sought other options.

The airline, however, could not simply cancel the flight, because the plane and its cargo were needed in Charlotte. So, after being unceremoniously summoned from their nearby hotel, the crew of four flight attendants went through their normal routine, despite having only one passenger. Stringer spent the two-and-a-half-hour flight laughing and joking with them, quite bemused by the novelty of the situation.

He captured his unique scenario with a video and uploaded it to TikTok, where it went viral with over eleven million likes. Stringer said, "We were like, look, we can either be negative about the situation and make a bad situation worse by our attitude. Or we can be positive, lighthearted, and try and make something of this and at least just have fun."

Stringer made some good friends that day, and made plans to see the group of attendants in their home base of Dallas the next time he comes through. He also heard from many people on social media who were encouraged to keep a positive attitude when their plans go awry” (Source: Rachel Treisman, “He had a plane to himself after an 18-hour delay. What happened next was a wild ride,” NPR (7-7-23).

Questions To Consider

1. Is there any task or responsibility you consider beneath you to do? If so, why?
2. To teach His disciples a lesson in humility — no task is beneath you — He washed their nasty feet in John 13:2-17.  In that day, culture said the disciples were supposed to wash the feet of their master; not the other way around. Take a moment and read John 13:2-17. How do you think the disciples felt and why? What tasks would be considered “washing dirty feet” for you? Jesus did this. The question is: will you?
3. In what tasks or responsibilities does your pride swell up and you get the BIG head thinking, “That is for someone else. No me!” You can do every task or responsibility for the glory of God. How can you do that this coming week?
4. Phil Stringer found himself as the only passenger on a flight. He made the best of it and so did the flight crew. Something similar happened to me when I was 18-years-old. When all my friends went to Myrtle Beach for high school graduation, I went to Hawaii. I had never flown. On my return flight to come home, I boarded a 747 to California. What I didn’t know at the time, this plane was due for some maintenance. I was it. The flight attendant asked if I would like to sit in First Class because she wanted something to do. I jumped at the chance and boy was that an experience. She took care of me with enthusiasm and joy. She never was indignant towards me. In fact, she did not even have to ask if I wanted to move from coach to First Class. She just did it. So, this coming week, how could you do something similar for someone for the glory of God?
5. Jesus said this in Matthew 20:28a, “Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve . . .” (ESV). This week, don’t expect a blessing, be the blessing to someone else. Think of someone right now you could do something that before this devotional, you might have thought it was “beneath” you but now you see it as bringing glory to God. Who is it and how can you serve them for God’s glory?

Scripture to Meditate On: Matthew 20:28a, “Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve . . .” (ESV).

Prayer To Pray: “Dear Jesus, there are times I can get the big head and think something is beneath me to do. Thank you for the servants at my church who clean toilets, change diapers, run lights, sound, media and teach children. I want Your attitude Lord — humility. You did not have to become human, but You intentionally chose to do that. Lord, give me a heart like Yours — a willingness to serve those who others think are not on their level. Lord, give me eyes to see as You see. Give me ears to hear as You do. Give me compassion to feel as You do. Lord, I want to do everything for Your glory. Please help me to do the this week. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”

I love you Southside! — Pastor Kelly