In the 9th chapter of the Gospel of Mark, the apostles, much like many of us, were debating who among them was the greatest. Their focus was entirely inward, centered on an excessive self-love. This unfortunately happens when love is absent, and love is absent because of sin. James reiterates this point: jealousy and selfish ambition are disordered. Selfishness contradicts the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are all thirsting for true love, we are all spiritually parched, and it is killing us. Left to our own devices, we would remain thirsty and eventually perish.
This is fundamentally why the Second Person of the Trinity became man. Instead of asserting His undeniable greatness, He chose to humble Himself. He lowered Himself to our level and emptied Himself out of love for us. Why? So that He could elevate us. He merited grace for us, and this grace, this unearned gift, transforms us. How? It empowers us to love God and our neighbors as we should. He sacrificed His life and gained nothing from it, but we gain everything. What do we gain?
Grace is the essential sustenance we need to quench the spiritual thirst that leads to death. God is love, and love is our ultimate purpose. Love is the only thing capable of fulfilling God’s promise to us. Inherently, we all desire to be loved. Grace enables us to participate in and reciprocate God’s love. We are like children who depend entirely on our Father to provide what is needed for life. If we focus solely on ourselves and attempt to satisfy our own thirst, we will perish.
Christ exemplified this love by his humility and sacrifice. By choosing to serve instead of being served, He demonstrated that true greatness lies in selflessness and love. His actions teach us that by humbling ourselves and serving others, we truly become great in the eyes of God.
In practical terms, this means we must look beyond ourselves and our desires. We need to actively seek to love and serve those around us, just as Christ did. This involves putting the needs of others before our own, forgiving those who wrong us, and showing compassion and kindness in our daily interactions.
By embracing humility and selfless love, we open ourselves to the transformative power of grace. This grace not only quenches our spiritual thirst but also enables us to bring God's love to a world that is desperately in need of it. We become conduits of His love, spreading the light of Christ in a world often shrouded in darkness.
Ultimately, it is through grace that we are able to fulfill our purpose and find true fulfillment. Grace is the lifeline that connects us to God's boundless love, allowing us to thrive spiritually and grow in our relationship with Him. By seeking God's grace and allowing it to transform us, we can overcome our selfish inclinations and live lives that reflect His love and glory.
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