If You're First You're Last

I’ve been reading “The Weight of Glory” by C.S. Lewis, it’s a great book and if you haven’t read any Lewis books I think it’s worth looking in to, but anyway I was writing about glory. What is glory? Is it being in the paper, on the web? Having a title? Getting an award? What is glory and why is it so appealing to us. Well, to understand glory we must look at greatness. Greatness, at least in my opinion, is a desire in us to be famous or powerful, which is (sorry if I offend you) not necessarily of God but the devil. Why though? Simply because it comes from pride which was the devils sin, and which is why Jesus was so mad at the Pharisees, but that’s another story. Well then is glory bad? Well, we can see glory as Biblical glory, or greatness. Biblical glory is much different than greatness, or as it’s called worldly glory. Jesus has a lot to say about glory, in Matthew during the anointing Jesus replies to disciples saying “’I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.’” In Mark 10:43 when James and John want the most important places in heaven he says “’Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.’” In Luke 9: 48 Jesus says “’For he who is least among you all- he is the greatest’” Later in Luke 18: 14 Jesus says “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’” So is glory is not always bad. From the Bible we can see that rue glory, to be remembered or to get a “pat on the back” from God means we have to serve, and be the last. It means to put others first, to care about people before ourselves. Lewis does a great job summing this up saying “The negative idea of Unselfishness carries with it the suggestion not primarily of securing good things for others, but of going without them ourselves, as if our abstinence and not their happiness was the important point” (pg. 1). True glory isn’t being famous or being a hero, or even a martyr, it’s living for a cause, living a life dedicated to the love and mercy of God, a dedication of service to His people, that’s glory. Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself, but of yourself less and God more.