Some years ago we thought my wife had a brain tumor. She’d
had bad headaches for a while, but they were getting worse. Each time we saw
the doctor, he seemed more concerned. He was the one who used the
words “brain tumor” for the first time, as he scheduled Dionne for an MRI.
Then we were really worried. The idea that she might have
brain cancer was overwhelming to both of us. It was a little over a week till
the MRI, and we had some very tough days as we waited for what the brain scan
would reveal.
And yet we never said a word to our church. At a time when
we most needed prayer and encouragement and support, we didn't even ask for help. I admitted our fears only to my long-time friend and accountability partner,
Mark. The day of the MRI, he met us at the hospital, prayed with us, and sat with me while Dionne was undergoing the test. I'll always be grateful that he was there.
Thankfully Dionne didn’t have a tumor, and her headaches
stopped. But as I look back I realize that not asking for help from our church family was both unnecessary and prideful.
Many of us find it easy to serve, but difficult to let
others serve us. It takes true humility to do both.
Caring for other people still leaves you in control. To receive blessing and care and ministry from others makes you vulnerable. It’s the kind of humility many people resist. But our Savior exemplified it.
After Jesus’ temptation, “angels came and were ministering to him” (Matthew 4:11). I wonder what that was like for the Lord. Near starvation and exhausted from a protracted battle with Satan, He needed help.
In the Bible, when angels appear to human beings, they inspire fear. They
are so stunningly beautiful, so supernaturally other, that people are tempted to worship them.
Compared to the infinite glory of God, though, they are nothing
but broken shells on the beach, reflecting the light of the sun. So it must
have been before the Incarnation, as angels bowed to the glorious majesty of
Christ the King. They had ministered to Him before. But then it was all worship. He never needed them.
Now, Jesus is clothed in His human nature. And as a Man He is
exhausted, worn, lonely, hungry and thirsty. So the angels took care of Him. He let them take care of Him.
Even in His humility, He is our example and ideal. He teaches us in His weakness that there is dignity both in giving and in receiving help. As always, Jesus is the One to admire.
