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There was once a man that visited a mega church, but this one was a little different. The summer weather, having taken a grievous toll on parishioners, led the church to distribute water bottles to those entering one Sunday morning.
The refreshment team seemed to consist of one hard worker. This middle-aged gentleman looked ragged, but performed his duty with the utmost care. His job was to wipe the water sweat off each bottle, wrap it in a napkin and hand it to each person entering. The visitor, seeing what care the man put into the task, began to inquire about him to the church's pastor.
“Oh, that guy,” the pastor began “he's worth a lot of money”
The visitor stood nonplussed, “what do you mean?”
“He is the top neurosurgeon in the region and State”
“Really?”
“Yep, he owns several practices all over, one of the best in the country”
“You don't say.”
“Yep, his net worth is estimated to be in the millions, he's a millionaire!”
True Story.
In the Bible there was another physician named Lucas or Luke. You must understand that in the environment of the ancient Hellenistic world, it was very common for people to be illiterate, especially women. But here is Luke, a man educated to the point of being a doctor. And he uses those years of education to serve others, namely the apostle Paul.
Luke wrote the books of Luke and Acts, but you wouldn't know it because he doesn't talk about himself. In fact, the only reason he is mentioned in the Bible at all is because Paul brings him up three times. What humility--that I don't have.
Through our education and into our chosen fields of occupation, we many times unconsciously, size people up in terms of how much they can do for us, or how we can surpass them. Many of us are raised on this ideology, the reason we are not to behave in a certain way is because we don't want to be or look like “those people,” whoever they are. We are taught to be better.
Luke could have started multiple practices, made a name for himself, surrounded himself with a harem of beautiful women, or even run for Roman government (he was a Gentile, or non-Jew by birth), instead he chose to be a co-worker with Paul, a fiery preacher that was regularly arrested, stoned, beaten, dragged and cursed out. One's choice of company speaks volumes.
What does your circle of friends say about you? If you're like many of us, your circle is strategically built to ensure the consistent flow of money, power, praise and position. I pray we all would be more like Jesus. It is by the power of His Holy Spirit that Luke didn't look down on others. That is something worth praying for.
God help us to look past what we can gain from others in and outside the Body of Christ and lead us to serve in sincere humility. Amen.
From Paul's last words before death:
“Do your best to come to me quickly, or Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
Only Luke is with me.”
-2 Timothy 4:9-11
In Him,
Jean-Marc
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