“Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. But John tried to stop Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me?” Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him to be baptized.” (Matthew 3:13–15, HCSB)
Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness. Right is a path, not just a value or moral. We know what is right with our mind. We evaluate and we judge between what is wrong and what is right by the inevitable trajectory such a value or moral places us on. In other words, right is a path.
We make small choices each day, “Midcourse corrections” if you will. There’s an accident on the freeway in front of us and we see it in time to take an exit and go around. We make a correction … we make a value judgment and choose to do what is right at the moment.
Yet, that choice is based on a bigger value system. One that includes wanting to get to our destination, like work, so we can do our job well. Or, perhaps it’s home because we love our families. Each small choice is reflective of our greater value systems.
When Jesus came to John and asked to be baptized, there was a greater reality flowing. Jesus really didn’t need to be baptized. As John well says, “I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me?”Here Jesus is thinking, like we do, about the greater values that guide His steps. He’s thinking of the Path of Right prescribed by God.
You and I have a life to live for God’s purpose: To make disciples of all the nations. (Matthew 28:19-20) If we truly believe that, if that is our North Star, so to speak, then everything we do, every choice we make, big or small, will be guided by that direction.
So, what we are really chasing in this life? Are we after that which fills us and thrills us financially, educationally, emotionally, socially, or physically? Or, do we live for a greater purpose? Do we live for the pleasure of our Master, Jesus?
Each choice we make today and every day reveals whether we are walking on the Path of Right or not. The beauty is that if we’ve gotten off the path, we can make some Mid-Course Corrections and return!
Willing Worker Wednesdays are dedicated to explaining the core realities of servant leadership – the Biblical principles and methods used by God’s faithful people throughout time. They further reflect the lifestyle of Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords as He walked on this earth announcing the Kingdom of God had arrived. These brief lessons are written by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, and come from his extensive ministry within the local church, in higher education, in church consulting and as a Biblical author and leader. He welcomes your comments below.
Am so great full for the messages u share with us thank you so much.