It's Not About Us

Have you ever noticed how that when we read the Bible we try to make it be about us? The bent of the flesh toward taking the prominent place is consistent, if nothing else. Take the way we read the parables as an example.

In the story of "The Good Samaritan," what is the most common application you've heard of that passage when it has been preached? Probably what I used to teach about it - that we ought to be Good Samaritans. The point of the story, though, isn't that we ought to become something. The Good Samaritan is Jesus. We were the one who was lying on the side of the road, broken and bleeding. We were the one that religion and the Law couldn't help.

Or consider the story of the pearl of great price. Matthew 13:45-46 says, "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."

Many times it has been said that the Pearl of Great Price is Jesus and that we ought to be willing to give up everything for Him. There's one glaring problem with that application though: this pearl was bought by the one who ended up with it. Obviously, you and I didn't pay anything to have salvation through Christ. It is a free gift. On the other hand, Jesus did pay everything to have you. The amazing thing is that you are the pearl of great price. The story is about His goodness in buying us, not our goodness in seeking Him.

A similar story exists in Matthew 13:44. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man had found, he hid it, and for the joy thereof goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field." Many have believed that Jesus is the treasure, but that doesn't fit. You are the treasure and He bought you.

Over and over again we can see how self-centered our traditional interpretations have been. One more example: We say it's the story about The Prodigal Son and that we need to come to our senses, get up and come home. The fact is that it's the Story of The Accepting Father who embraced his son without giving him a chance to make his empty promises.

We want to make the hero of the stories be ourselves, but the fact is that we're not the heroes. Jesus is. The Bible is a book that shows His greatness, not the need for us to call forth some imaginary inherent goodness we fancy ourselves having.

It's not about us. It never has been. It's all about Him and the amazing grace He has poured down on us all.