A son of the dictator of Equatorial Guinea has a $35 million dollar home in Malibu to which he commutes in his $35 million Gulfstream. Recently he has authorized the construction of a $380 million dollar yacht. The average income of the 700,000 citizens of Equatorial Guinea is less than $2 a day and most have no clean water. Equatorial Guinea is an oil rich nation. Could we possibly feel more disgust?
Now let’s talk about Jesus. The following is from Philippians 2 paraphrased in The Message. Jesus “had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.” Could we possibly feel more pride?
There are some individuals who deserve to be the king. They have earned the right to receive our respect and adoration. The Book of Revelation describes a heaven filled with various forms of intelligent life. They gather around the throne and give worship to the One who not only created all life but astonished the universe by sacrificing Himself to bring back those who deliberately turned away. Jesus came as a poor man. Jesus lived as a poor man. Jesus died a poor man. Jesus resurrected as the richest man ever who now reigns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. How grand!
Written by Roger Bothwell on March 17, 2011
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org