I want to be first!!!

Remember our kids saying things like that? Remember US saying things like that?

I want to be first!

I want to be on top of the hill and I'll push anybody off who comes near me!

I was here first!

Pick me first!

Let's get there first to get the best seats!

I was watching the little Juncos outside at noon today. We had placed bird seen down on a plastic lid so all the little guys could eat themselves into oblivion. It's cold out there and they need fuel. So they ate and ate and ate until it was all gone. We then took down the huge chunk of bird seed that had been hanging from the tree all winter and placed it whole on the piece of plastic, thinking that they would all sit around it nicely, picking from the edges.

Wrong. ONE bird sat on top of the chunk and anyone attempting a coup got picked at and flown at and down right chewed out by the "top gun". There was no way he would share. He was biggest and best. He had a right to be on top.....and most likely the oldest bird too.....not that you can tell these things, mind you. So he ate his fill while all the other little Juncos had to sit back and wait or continue on in their attempts at dethroning King Junco.

We people are not unlike that, are we. We know our rights and we exercise them. But we also know who's the top banana and try as we may to get to the top of that hill, we just have to wait our turn.....or try that coup technique......which usually turns out messy. When we're up there, we get to tell people what to do and they become our servants......right?

Jesus said we should be opposite to that. He said we should allow the weakest amongst us first place. He said we should give the better seats to the lowly and poor. He said we need to be a servant to all instead of trying to get everyone to serve us.

Matthew writes of it in his Gospel letter - chapter 10, verses 42-44:

42Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all."

It's just an upside down, backward, inside out Gospel message. May we all have ears to hear....