The principles that characterize and govern Christianity are often the very opposite of those which people would expect, or think to be functional. The idea that joy comes through sorrow is foreign to human thought, and yet it is a precept of the gospel. The New Testament also teaches that life is a consequence of death, that affirmation rises from self-denial, and that receiving is enhanced by liberality in giving. As one considers these principles of Christian doctrine that sound so incongruous with human wisdom, he is reminded of the statement that "God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong," (I Cor. 1:27). The choice of sorrow over joy, death over life, and self-denial over self-affirmation seem like weakness to human reason, and such choices looks foolish to most people. Those who have not been educated in the gospel, however, have not been prepared to see the reality that is hidden in these choices urged by the New Testament and the superior benefits that come from them. We are told that "the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned," (I Cor. 2:14).
Jesus' statement in Mrk. 10:44 is another precept of the gospel that does not recommend itself to human thought. The prevailing idea of success is to reach a station in society where one is freed from routine duties so that he has the leisure to pursue a course of pleasure and self-satisfaction. The dream of most people is to live in a mansion kept by servants who clean, maintain, and keep it in repair. The servants prepare the meals and clean up afterwards. They keep the cars polished and in top operating order. A chauffeur drives the owner, relieving him of the toil and stress of maneuvering through the traffic. In short, every common task is taken care of by the servants. The owner of the estate can devote himself to extracting from life all the enjoyment and comfort that it will yield to him.
The world counts as ultimately successful those who achieve such enviable positions. But Jesus refutes this concept entirely. He defines true success in terms of service rendered. The person who does the most good for his fellow man, especially when he does it in the Name of the Lord, is the one who achieves the greatest distinction with Christ. To be served by others is to practice the spirit of selfishness, but to devote one's life to serving others is to practice the spirit of generosity. The desire to be served exhibits rank egotism; the desire to serve others portrays the essence of love. Jesus used Himself as the Model, for He said that "even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many," (Mrk. 10:45). Jesus denied Himself the glory of heaven and His divine prerogatives to humble Himself as a man and suffer ultimate humiliation to give man the greatest gift, salvation and life eternal.
The complaint is often heard, "I don't enjoy church services, because I don't get anything out of them." The reason a person has this experience is that he is addicted to the wrong attitude that "the good life" is getting the best that can be gotten. One cannot appreciate or understand it until he tries it, but life is more pleasant and satisfying when it is approached as a giver than as a receiver. The person who attends church to give as much as he can to the worship, Bible study, and fellowship is the person who will come away with the feeling that he has received a great deal. To him the experience of church will be a great benefit that he will treasure, and he will commit himself to regular involvement therein. Those who get little or nothing from church are those who put little or nothing into it.
