Key Thought

Today's Prayer

O gracious Father, how and why you chose to become one of us in Jesus is too overwhelming to even fully contemplate. Yet your humility in redeeming us, Jesus' humility in saving us, cuts such a deep impression on my heart that I want to be more like him. And on those days, dear Father, when I am too big for my own britches, humble me gently by reminding me of Jesus' willing service to redeem me and bring me into your family. In the name of Christ the Lord I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

Then Jesus spoke to the people and to his followers. Jesus said, "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees have the authority (power) to tell you what the law of Moses says. So you should obey the things they say. You should do all the things they tell you to do. But their lives are not good examples for you to follow. They tell you to do things, but they don't do those things themselves. They make strict rules that are hard for people to obey. They try to force other people to obey all those rules. But they themselves will not try to follow any of those rules. "The only reason they do good things is for other people to see them. They wear special boxes full of Scriptures. They make these boxes bigger and bigger. And they make their special prayer clothes very long {so that people will see them}. Those Pharisees and teachers of the law love to get the most important seats at the feasts. And they love to get the most important seats in the synagogues. They love for people to show respect to them in the market places. And they love to have people call them 'Teacher.' "But you must not be called 'Teacher.' You are all brothers and sisters together. You have only one Teacher. And don't call any person on earth 'Father.' You have one Father. He is in heaven. And you should not be called 'Master.' You have only one Master, the Christ. The person that serves you like a servant is the greatest person among you. Every person that makes himself better than other people will be made humble. Every person that makes himself humble will be made great.

Related Scripture Readings

In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus. Christ himself was like God in everything. Christ was equal with God. But Christ did not think that being equal with God was something that he must keep. He gave up his place with God and agreed to be like a servant. He was born to be a man and became like a servant. And when he was living as a man, he humbled himself by being fully obedient to God. He obeyed even when that caused him to die. And he died on a cross. Christ obeyed God, so God raised Christ to the most important place. God made the name of Christ greater than every other name. God did this because he wants every person to bow for the name of Jesus. Every person in heaven, on the earth, and under the earth will bow. Every person will confess (say), "Jesus Christ is Lord (Master)." When they say this, it will bring glory to God the Father.

Never do anything that might make other people do wrong—Jews, Greeks (non-Jews), or God's church. I do the same thing. I try to please everybody in every way. I am not trying to do what is good for me. I try to do what is good for the most people, so that they can be saved. Follow my example, like I follow the example of Christ.

So all of you should live together in peace. Try to understand each other. Love each other like brothers. Be kind and humble.