Simplicity: The Way to Greatness

THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH.
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Today, our Gospel reading talks about greatness.

What it is to be great in the Kingdom of God? Maybe this passage, called the Hymn of Christ, could give us an insight into true greatness,

Though he was in the form of God, he did not deem equality with God something to be grasped at. Rather, he emptied himself, and took the form of a slave, being born as a man and in every way like a human being, he humbled himself obediently accepting death, death on a cross. That's why God highly exalted him and gave him the name above every other name so that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bend, in the heavens, on the earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess, Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. 

- Philippians 2: 6-11

According to the Evangelist John, Jesus our Lord who is the Word made flesh [John 1:14] was in the beginning with God and was God and through whom everything has been made [John 1: 1-3]. But He came to this world upon being sent by the Father for the purpose of saving us that we who will believe may not perish [John 3:16]. So God the Son left His divine status and became man and as one among us, He further humbled himself by accepting death upon the cross - declaring His full submission to the Father's will and rejecting His own [see Luke 22:42]. By His obedience, the Father exalted Him and made Him ruler of the universe putting everything under His feet [Hebrews 10: 12-14; Ephesians 1:22; 1 Corinthians 15: 27-28]. 

So true greatness is in humbly and obediently accepting the Father's will for in this we cooperate in His eternal plan of glorifying His name and fully making us His children through the Lord Jesus Christ. For God, greatness is in having a share in His inheritance [Romans 8: 16-17], of having a room in His mansion [John 14: 2-3]. In order to be made worthy of being His children and heirs and partake of the Lord's glory, we also have to partake of His sufferings [Romans 8:17]. 

By being simple, we can easily walk upon the path of greatness for we will never have heavy burdens to bring along. Truly simple people do not carry heavy loads. They could even soar to the heights of contemplating the glory of God in prayer because they are so light. They could also face every trial and challenge on earth with ease because their faith, hope and love are the only load they bring. 

The Lord Jesus Christ also presents a little child as model of greatness. It is because the properly trained child doesn't have complex wants and desires yet unlike adults. Hence when we become like children, we become simple children of God whose only desire is to be with Him and to fulfill His will in everything we do.

So let us be truly simple so that we may attain true greatness. Let us leave behind the complexities of worldly living for they encumber us and make our journey toward the kingdom of God slower because of being filled with worries and anxieties about these things.