originally published 10/27/19
“For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 7:22)
“Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away.” (James 1:9-10)
Do these verses surprise you? The teaching in each of these verses is that the gospel of Jesus hits people differently according to their needs. A slave needs to know they are free. A free person needs to know they are a slave. A person from a lowly estate in life needs to rejoice in the fact that they are being lifted up. A rich person needs to rejoice in the fact that they are being brought low. Does this surprise you?
Both of these verses appear in quite different contexts within their own books of the Bible, but they appeal to the same underlying principle that the gospel of Jesus has a message that is meaningful to any person in any life situation. This is beautiful, and it is something about which we should rejoice and give thanks.
It may explain why each of us focus on different bits of the good news. I have even found that different seasons of my life highlight different aspects of the Lord’s good news for me. Perhaps what stands out to us points to deep inner needs of our hearts. So, what I find good and beautiful and exciting may sometimes not hit you quite as strongly, and vice versa.
One thing that stands out throughout my life is the joy that He keeps teaching me. I think it points to a deep need in my heart that feels easily rejected and set aside, so every time He teaches me again, it is fresh confirmation for my heart that I am still in the mentorship program.
What about you? What are the themes from the gospel that have stood out to you the most throughout the course of your life? Take some time to meditate on that. Ask God to help you see what inner need the gospel is answering in that area of your life. Then rejoice and give thanks that He is so good that He meets each of us where we are and meets the needs of our hearts.
But we also need to see the theme of being lifted up and being brought low that these verses point to. Apparently, some people need to be lifted up, and some people need to be brought low. For folks who have felt rejected and oppressed, the gospel brings powerful news of acceptance and peace. For folks who have felt exalted and in charge, the gospel brings good news of humility and lack of control. Now obviously, every Christ-follower is free from the power of sin, is accepted as a member of His family, doesn’t have anything to boast about before Him, and has no ultimate control. Yes, all of those truths apply to all of us, but apparently some of us need different emphases because of our place in life.
Can you let your brother rejoice in his freedom while you rejoice in your slavery? Or can you let your sister rejoice in her exaltation while you rejoice that you will be brought low? He is good to meet the needs of our hearts, whether that need is to be humbled or comforted.