Luke 7:28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
When we read the Bible there are some iconic people whom we look up to as gold standards. These include people like Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Elijah etc…
When we introspect their lives deeply we see men of great failures, Abraham a icon of faith laughed at God’s words, Moses was punished to disobedience, David a man according to heart of God, lost his heart to another married woman, Solomon praised for his wisdom did the most foolish thing of worshiping idols, gods and goddesses, Elijah who did greatest miracles in the OT was rebuked by the Lord (Jesus) Himself in the NT.
In today’s scripture we see Jesus speaks of John the Baptist who was Elijah born again as man (it can not be called incarnation since Elijah had not died). As John, Elijah repented of his arrogance and thus Jesus said that of those born of women (He was excluded as His birth was a arrogate birth) there was none greater. This was another gold standard but then like other gold standards not the ultimate. We all have the possibility of achieving greater or doing more than any person mentioned in the whole Bible. When Jesus Himself said we would do greater things than what He did then can anyone else from the Bible we any higher, impossible level?
The path on how to become greater is also revealed in today’s scripture. The scripture says we need to be least to be greater. In the Beatitudes we see two which ask us to be poor in spirit and meek to inherit the Kingdom of God and inherit this earth (people).
To be poor in spirit does not mean to be nothing but to be self-aware of our own spiritual growth and what is there to achieve. To be meek means to be gentle which in turn means to wisely seek the best path to edify others. Today’ scripture tell us to be least to be greater than John/Elijah that also means not to be nothing but to know we are little compared to what we are called to be.
Let us not idolize anyone from the Bible that are born of woman. All of them although are gold standards yet are standards we can break. When the Lord named His own gold standards, He did not take the names of the people I named before but took names of Noah, Job and Daniel. These people are not usual inspiring characters yet the Lord holds them of great value, and we need to learn of them to break gold standards.
[Prayer Starter]
Lord, You, are Almighty God. You are God and You alone are God. You humbled Yourself any created this imperfect world so that in its drive for perfection it will be found suitable to dwell with You and in You. We pray Lord we be self-aware and edify others without breaking them, we pray we know what we are called to, so as to prepare our path ahead with the help of Your Spirit…
We make this prayer in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
[Reference Scriptures]
Genesis 17:17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall [a child] be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
Matthew 5:3,5
3 Blessed [are] the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
5 Blessed [are] the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Luke 9:54-55
54 And when his disciples James and John saw [this], they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
Matthew 11:14 And if ye will receive [it], this is Elias, which was for to come.
Ezekiel 14:20 Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, [were] in it, [as] I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall [but] deliver their own souls by their righteousness.