Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by 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.[Philippians 2:4-8
In the 1800s, a crippled boy was hurrying to catch a train.
Because he was carrying gifts and trying to work his crutches, the going was difficult. In the rush, a man bumped into him. Parcels flew every which way. The boy was thankful when the man stopped and turned around. Picking up those packages and getting to his feet again was going to be a struggle. But the man didn't help the boy with his packages.
The man had turned around and come back to give the lad a little lecture on staying out of the way.
Insult had been added to injury, and the boy just sat there, sat there trying not to cry. He knew his train was leaving soon, and it was the last one of the day. That being said, he could think of no way he could collect himself and his packages and still get to his coach. The more he thought, the less he cared about whether anyone saw him cry.
It was then that another man made his presence known. In truth, he had been there from the beginning.
He had seen the first man run into the boy, heard the man's unfair tongue lashing, and seen the lad's pain and frustration. He helped the boy to his feet, got him steady, collected the packages, and helped the boy balance out his load.
The last thing the man did was find the boy's train and, with a rather loud voice, kept shouting, "Excuse us!" until the lad reached his car. Just as the boy, unaccustomed to such caring, was ready to get on the train, he turned and said, "Thank you so much! Sir, tell me, are you Jesus?"
"No," replied the man, "but I am one of His followers."
One of Jesus' followers.
I guess that's about as good a description of a Christian as we will ever hear. It keeps the Savior as the center and as the inspiration of all that we do. At the same time it says our actions are done to glorify Him.
Of course, St. Paul said it better: "Let each of you look ... to the interests of others. "Remember, the Savior was equal with God and, indeed, He is God. Even so, He still came to earth and became one of us. It was quite a step down, but He did it completely without complaint. As one of us, He fulfilled the Law, resisted temptation, died on the cross, and rose on the third day.
All this Jesus did so we might be forgiven and saved. This is why any of us should be honored to be "one of His followers."
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, there are no words to explain the love which brought You to earth for the purpose of saving us. All we can do is remain faithful, offer our thanks, and try to be counted as one of Your followers. Grant this may be so. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible Readings:
In the 1800s, a crippled boy was hurrying to catch a train.
Because he was carrying gifts and trying to work his crutches, the going was difficult. In the rush, a man bumped into him. Parcels flew every which way. The boy was thankful when the man stopped and turned around. Picking up those packages and getting to his feet again was going to be a struggle. But the man didn't help the boy with his packages.
The man had turned around and come back to give the lad a little lecture on staying out of the way.
Insult had been added to injury, and the boy just sat there, sat there trying not to cry. He knew his train was leaving soon, and it was the last one of the day. That being said, he could think of no way he could collect himself and his packages and still get to his coach. The more he thought, the less he cared about whether anyone saw him cry.
It was then that another man made his presence known. In truth, he had been there from the beginning.
He had seen the first man run into the boy, heard the man's unfair tongue lashing, and seen the lad's pain and frustration. He helped the boy to his feet, got him steady, collected the packages, and helped the boy balance out his load.
The last thing the man did was find the boy's train and, with a rather loud voice, kept shouting, "Excuse us!" until the lad reached his car. Just as the boy, unaccustomed to such caring, was ready to get on the train, he turned and said, "Thank you so much! Sir, tell me, are you Jesus?"
"No," replied the man, "but I am one of His followers."
One of Jesus' followers.
I guess that's about as good a description of a Christian as we will ever hear. It keeps the Savior as the center and as the inspiration of all that we do. At the same time it says our actions are done to glorify Him.
Of course, St. Paul said it better: "Let each of you look ... to the interests of others. "Remember, the Savior was equal with God and, indeed, He is God. Even so, He still came to earth and became one of us. It was quite a step down, but He did it completely without complaint. As one of us, He fulfilled the Law, resisted temptation, died on the cross, and rose on the third day.
All this Jesus did so we might be forgiven and saved. This is why any of us should be honored to be "one of His followers."
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, there are no words to explain the love which brought You to earth for the purpose of saving us. All we can do is remain faithful, offer our thanks, and try to be counted as one of Your followers. Grant this may be so. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible Readings:
1 Chronicles 13:1 David consulted with the commanders of thousands and of hundreds — with every leader. 2 Then David said to the entire assembly of Isra’el, “If it seems good to you, and if it is the will of Adonai our God, let’s send messengers to the rest of our kinsmen in the land of Isra’el, and also to the cohanim and L’vi’im in their cities with surrounding open land, asking them to join us; 3 and let’s bring back the ark of our God to ourselves, since we didn’t go after it when Sha’ul was king.” 4 The whole assembly said they would do this, for in the view of all the people it seemed right.
Lutheran Hour Ministries
5 So David summoned all Isra’el to come together, from Shichor in Egypt all the way to the entrance of Hamat, to bring the ark of God from Kiryat-Ye‘arim. 6 David went up with all Isra’el to Ba‘alah, that is, Kiryat-Ye‘arim, which belonged to Y’hudah, to bring up from there the ark of God, Adonai, who is enthroned above the k’ruvim, bearing the Name. 7 They set the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Avinadav, with ‘Uza and Achyo, the sons of Avinadav, driving the cart. 8 David and all Isra’el celebrated in the presence of God with all their strength, with songs, lyres, lutes, tambourines, cymbals and trumpets.
9 When they arrived at Kidon’s threshing-floor, the oxen stumbled; and ‘Uza put out his hand to steady the ark. 10 But Adonai’s anger blazed up against ‘Uza, and he struck him down, because he had put out his hand and touched the ark, so that he died there before God. 11 It upset David that Adonai had broken out against ‘Uza; that place has been called Peretz-‘Uza [breaking-out of ‘Uza] ever since. 12 That day, God frightened David; he asked, “How can I bring the ark of God to me?” 13 So David didn’t bring the ark into the City of David; rather, David carried it aside into the house of ‘Oved-’Edom the Gitti. 14 The ark of God stayed with the family of ‘Oved-’Edom the Gitti in his house for three months; and Adonai blessed the household of ‘Oved-’Edom and all he had.
1 Corinthians 9:1 Am I not a free man? Am I not an emissary of the Messiah? Haven’t I seen Yeshua our Lord? And aren’t you yourselves the result of my work for the Lord? 2 Even if to others I am not an emissary, at least I am to you; for you are living proof that I am the Lord’s emissary. 3 That is my defense when people put me under examination.
4 Don’t we have the right to be given food and drink? 5 Don’t we have the right to take along with us a believing wife, as do the other emissaries, also the Lord’s brothers and Kefa? 6 Or are Bar-Nabba and I the only ones required to go on working for our living? 7 Did you ever hear of a soldier paying his own expenses? or of a farmer planting a vineyard without eating its grapes? Who shepherds a flock without drinking some of the milk? 8 What I am saying is not based merely on human authority, because the Torah says the same thing — 9 for in the Torah of Moshe it is written, “You are not to put a muzzle on an ox when it is treading out the grain.”[1 Corinthians 9:9 Deuteronomy 25:4] If God is concerned about cattle, 10 all the more does he say this for our sakes. Yes, it was written for us, meaning that he who plows and he who threshes should work expecting to get a share of the crop. 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12 If others are sharing in this right to be supported by you, don’t we have a greater claim to it?
But we don’t make use of this right. Rather, we put up with all kinds of things so as not to impede in any way the Good News about the Messiah. 13 Don’t you know that those who work in the Temple get their food from the Temple, and those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrifices offered there? 14 In the same way, the Lord directed that those who proclaim the Good News should get their living from the Good News.
15 But I have not made use of any of these rights. Nor am I writing now to secure them for myself, for I would rather die than be deprived of my ground for boasting! 16 For I can’t boast merely because I proclaim the Good News — this I do from inner compulsion: woe is me if I don’t proclaim the Good News! 17 For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if I do it unwillingly, I still do it, simply because I’ve been entrusted with a job. 18 So then, what is my reward? Just this: that in proclaiming the Good News I can make it available free of charge, without making use of the rights to which it entitles me.
19 For although I am a free man, not bound to do anyone’s bidding, I have made myself a slave to all in order to win as many people as possible. 20 That is, with Jews, what I did was put myself in the position of a Jew, in order to win Jews. With people in subjection to a legalistic perversion of the Torah, I put myself in the position of someone under such legalism, in order to win those under this legalism, even though I myself am not in subjection to a legalistic perversion of the Torah. 21 With those who live outside the framework of Torah, I put myself in the position of someone outside the Torah in order to win those outside the Torah — although I myself am not outside the framework of God’s Torah but within the framework of Torah as upheld by the Messiah. 22 With the “weak” I became “weak,” in order to win the “weak.” With all kinds of people I have become all kinds of things, so that in all kinds of circumstances I might save at least some of them.
23 But I do it all because of the rewards promised by the Good News, so that I may share in them along with the others who come to trust. 24 Don’t you know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one wins the prize? So then, run to win! 25 Now every athlete in training submits himself to strict discipline, and he does it just to win a laurel wreath that will soon wither away. But we do it to win a crown that will last forever. 26 Accordingly, I don’t run aimlessly but straight for the finish line; I don’t shadow-box but try to make every punch count. 27 I treat my body hard and make it my slave so that, after proclaiming the Good News to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
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660 Mason Ridge Center
Saint Louis, Missouri 63141 United States
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