Go High or Go Low
Have you heard the phrase, ‘To go higher you have to go lower?’ or ‘He who is last will be first and he who is first will be last? How about, ‘You are so heavenly minded you are no earthly good!’ Let’s look at these three phrases in light of the Bible and who is the greatest example of these phrases and why.
To go higher, you must go lower - Having spent some time in Nepal, I viewed the Himalayas on clear days. We knew climbers who trekked to Base Camp and others who trained to go to the top. Much planning goes into a climb of that magnitude. If you can imagine the anticipation while climbing only to be told by the Sherpas you must slow down to acclimate. Once the team is acclimated then the climb begins. In places on these treks, you are roped together with the team. The safety of one depends on the safety of all. This is putting others before yourself, and taking on the attitude of a servant. In Philippians 2:5-8 we understand that Jesus set aside His divinity to become human through obedience of going low to the point of death on a cross and took Him to the highest, seating Him at the right hand of God, His Father.
He who is first shall be last and he who is last shall be first. In the book of Matthew 20:16, this statement by Jesus comes after the vineyard owner allows those who came in late to receive the same wages as those who came in first. In Mark 9:35, we read of the Sons of Thunder asking Jesus to sit at His right and left hand, places of influence. Do you remember His answer to James and John? After He told them it was not for Him to decide that but for His Father, He continued with, “Can you drink of the cup of which I am to drink?” Again they answered boldly, “Yes, Master.” Read this account in John. In Acts, we read that James was the first disciple to be martyred for Jesus. His brother, John, continued to be the last one to die and he wrote the book of Revelation. Jesus finishes v. 35 with, he must be a servant of all. We see the best demonstration of this as Jesus washes the disciples’ feet. Found only in the book of John, Jesus tells His disciples that a servant is not greater than his master nor is the one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.
You are so heavenly-minded you are no earthly good - Jesus set aside His divinity. As soldiers prepared to take Jesus while in the garden of Gethsemane, He revealed that He could pray and call thousands of angels, but His love for His Father and His love for you and me caused Him to obey Heaven instead of men on the earth (Matthew 26:53). They mocked Him on the cross. He chose to stay silent before Pilot. Why, because He was listening to His Father in heaven who was saying, stay silent, speak this. This phrase does not mean, at least to me, that I am always thinking of going to heaven and that I am not in touch with what is going on around me. What it means to me is I am so in touch with heaven that I can affect what is going on around me in the earth.
So, the phrases, to go higher, you must go lower, he who is first will be last and he who is last will be first, and finally, you are so heavenly minded you are no earthly good - are all perfect examples of how Jesus lived His life on the earth. I don’t know about you, but I want Jesus to be my life model. I want to live my life like Him. But I admit that I must be reminded of these biblical sayings to stay on course.
The secret to where these sayings are worked out best is in our character. The things we think, the way we do things, and how we behave towards other people. I know it is counterintuitive to most cultures, but as followers of Jesus Christ, we have been adopted into Kindom Culture. Although we are on the earth, we abide in His presence. And right now, He is in heaven - our real home.
Why do I do what I do? Jesus taught me and continues to teach me His ways and I am so thankful, that I want to pass on not what I know, but Who I know. So, whether you listen to our podcast or watch our YouTube, or read our blog, we want to say thank you. We believe learning God’s Word and His Ways continues all our days!
Until next time, spend some time with the Father, because the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.
Dr. Michele Morgan
website - www.gweinc.org
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@timewiththefather-21
Podcast- https://gwe2121.podbean.com/
