“If Jesus had come as a somebody, he never would have been crucified. Somebodies don’t get crucified. Nobodies do. . . . The weakness and defeat on the cross became the great triumph. The somebody became nobody so that we nobodies could become somebodies. That’s the gospel.”- Timothy Keller
“Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl form Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, ‘If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”- 2 Kings 5:2-3 (NIV)
Timothy Keller continues Chapter 7 of What’s Wrong with the World? with the third important principle we can draw from the biblical account of Naaman.
3. God speaks through the humble, the marginal, and the uncool. The slave girl who told Naaman about Elisha knelt at the bottom of the social ladder. Timothy describes her as a child, probably between the ages of ten and twelve years old — and female. And a slave. Hence, in the eyes of the Syrians, she barely ranked one level above livestock. Yet, God spoke through her.
Most significantly, Pastor Keller observes, in general the people on the margins grasp the gospel most quickly. Because those at the bottom of the social ladder know how hard life is, how weak people are. So, for example, Naaman’s servants understood the gospel before he did. Theologically, this reflects how God communicates. Of course, Jesus is the ultimate example of this principle. Jesus — both just and justifier.
In conclusion, Pastor Keller counsels:
“If we see the gospel as credible only when it comes from the mouths of the famous, the attractive, and the accomplished, we will never mature in the gospel. We may go to the kings, but God will continually speak to us through his servants.”
Today’s question: What does it mean to you that Jesus = the somebody became nobody? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Pay the price of usefulness”