The Royalty of God

I recently read a story about a 6-year-old cancer patient who rushed out to greet Princess Kate, and one of the sub-headlines of the story was that "protocol was broken" by the hug they shared.

It just made me think of how royal protocol was broken when the King of Kings sent His Son to us... Philippians tells us about Jesus, who,

"though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death... even death on a cross."

Royalty Becomes the Servant

A King had sent His Son to save the peasants, and not only that-- that Son took "the form of a servant". Christ-- the Messiah, the hoped-for King-- took the role of a humble slave.

Can you imagine going out, today, and putting on a maid's uniform, and then never taking it off? How would people treat you? How would your behavior change over time? I'll be honest and say that I've never really thought of that. My flesh cries out for approval and recognition. But Christ's situation is even more severe than this... He IS perfect-- He deserved & deserves recognition and praise, and yet, He willingly became humble. He lovingly served.

Servanthood

Just like that little girl wants to be like Princess Kate, I want to be like Jesus. But instead of beautiful dresses and jewels, that passage in Philippians 2 (and many others throughout scripture) tells us that servanthood is how we follow Him. Scripture tells us to joyfully seek the joy of others, to put the needs of others first, and to delight in pleasing God above all else-- even if the cup He puts in front of us is one we'd rather not drink.

Though a difficult truth, this is also a joyful truth! Just as servants of earthly royalty work, day in, day out, sometimes doing quite menial tasks, but find value in it because they know whom they are serving, we can do the things God asks of us-- big and small-- with joy, because we know WHOM we are serving.

Do you remember what He told us?

"Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me." Then the righteous will answer him, saying, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?... And the King will answer them, "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." (Matthew 25:35-40)

Father, King, Loving Protocol-Breaker, help me to understand this truth more and more, and emulate your son more and more in my life.