As far as I know, my dad never put a lot of stock in dreams. Not that he felt God couldn’t speak to us through them. After all, the Bible does say that in the last days “your old men shall dream dreams.” (Joel 2:28) It’s just that God didn’t usually speak to him that way… except for this one time. It was the night before he was to be baptized, and in his dream he saw himself lying in a grave - crucified with Christ and buried with him in baptism. Then suddenly, much to his surprise, the corpse opened his eyes and with a faint smile gave him a little wink. That’s when Dad woke up. It didn’t take long for its meaning to become clear. Even though he had become a new creation in Christ, the self-life wasn’t going to die easily. In other words, the self-life has an exceptionally long shelf-life. That seems to be a common theme running through the story and parables we read in Luke chapter 14. Each one addresses the “self-life” and the subtle (and not so subtle) ways this attitude is manifested in our lives.
When it served his own self-interest, working on the sabbath day was not a problem to the Pharisee whose ox had fallen into a pit. (vs. 1-6) When invited to a wedding feast, Jesus warned against an attitude of self-importance that chooses the seat of honor rather than being content to take the lowly place. (vs. 7-11) When hosting a dinner, avoid the tendency to invite only those from whom you can receive something in return. Instead, we, as his followers, should invite those who have nothing to offer, knowing that our Father in heaven will more than make it up to us in the life to come. (vs. 12-14) Likewise, when being invited to a feast, don’t let your personal preferences take precedence over the blessing you can bring to others by celebrating with them and sharing in their joy. (vs. 15-24) In other words, In lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. (Phil. 2:3b)
Jesus always hits the nail on the head when it comes to human nature. Even after we become Christians, the self-life continues to vie with Christ for first place in our lives; but the throne of our hearts rightfully belongs to Jesus, and to Him alone. For the present, the self-life is to be subdued through the power of the Holy Spirit; only when we get to Heaven will it be totally eradicated. That’s why Jesus tells us to deny ourselves daily, take up our cross and follow Him. If we are to truly be His disciples, we can’t allow anything or anyone to hold greater sway over our lives than God. His, must be our first and highest call, and He Himself must always be our first and greatest love. (vs.26,27)
Taking up my cross doesn’t mean inventing ways to make myself miserable. It simply means staying so filled with Jesus that self has no room to operate in my life. It means finding our greatest joy in pleasing Him, and choosing to obey even when I don’t feel like it. When at the Last Supper Jesus assumed the place of a lowly servant, He revealed the attitude of His disciples who felt that washing feet was beneath them and better left to someone less important. Have we ever held back from doing something for the same reason? Though we would never be so brazen as to choose the highest seat for ourselves, have we ever been insulted when we don’t get the recognition we feel we deserve, or even worse, when it’s given to someone else? Have you ever asked yourself why it is that you choose to associate with the people that you do while practically ignoring others? The self-life lives by the motto “What’s in it for me?” The crucified life asks, “What’s in it for Him?”
That’s what it costs to be His disciple, and that life has no “expiration date.”
Prayer: Lord, I want to be so filled with You that there’s no more room for the “old me.”
