“Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.
Hebrews 3:5,6
There are some things in this life that are easier to avoid than others. There are even a precious few that you can be guaranteed to totally stop from ever happening. For example, it’s really very easy to avoid all the lines at Disney World. It is. I’m not joking. There is a sure-fire way to not stand in any line at all the parks.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Your brain is all abuzz with thoughts and options about how to beat the crowds. Like going at a certain time of the year. Or showing up early and being first in line when the front gates open. Or going when the weather is really, really, really bad. Or some other very creative solution.
All these are great, and I congratulate you on your ideas. But they all have limitations. There’s no guarantee that you’ll immediately go to the front of every line. There’s no promise that someone won’t cut in front of you. Or that the weather will cooperate. Or that some group won’t clog up the line.
For an absolute guarantee, all you have to do is sign up for a Disney Private VIP Tour[1]. Just call the reservation number to speak with a friendly Cast Member and you can make your plans for “an adventure that includes door-to-door service and an array of personalized perks.” You’ll be guided by your very own VIP Tour Guide who will pick you up and escort you throughout your magical experience.
Oh, I forgot one small detail. You need to know that the call isn’t free. It’s not one of those 800 numbers. And you do have to pay a small administrative fee of somewhere between $450 to $900 per hour plus the regular park admission fee for each person.
And when it came to the Hebrews hearing and believing in Jesus, there also was something that just couldn’t be avoided. That thing was comparing what they knew about God and his servant Moses with Jesus. After all, Moses was the most faithful servant in all the nation of Israel. He was someone that God spoke with face to face[2].
There were lots and lots of ways that the writer of this letter could have compared Moses and Jesus. They could have looked at their family heritage and where they were born. They could have compared their criminal records. Or how people reacted to what they said and did.
But instead of looking at all these different things, the Hebrews need to hear and know one specific difference. Not just one other thing in a whole list of things that separated Moses and Jesus. They needed to be told the biggest thing that separated them from any and all other comparisons.
Moses was a servant and Jesus was the Son. This wasn’t to put Moses down or anything like that. It was to lift up Jesus as way, way, way above Moses and everyone else. Jesus stands alone as God’s one and only Son. He’s unique in all the history of the world. There’s just no comparison between a servant and The Son. No matter how great of a servant anyone could be, they’re not The Son. A servant might do anything and everything they’re told. They may even go way above and beyond all the things asked of them. They can work themselves down to the bone and give their entire life, but they’re still not The Son. They will never be The Son.
Yes, it’s natural to compare people and things. It’s something that you just can’t avoid. But there’s another thing that you can’t avoid. The Son is always, always, always going to be superior and better than anyone else to their father. Or, in this case, not just any old father, but The Father.
And this is the biggest “you just can’t avoid it” thing in the universe. You can’t avoid comparing Jesus to everyone else. When you put him up against all the other religious leaders, teachers, prophets, founders, guru’s, seers, and founders, Jesus isn’t just head and shoulders above them. No, he’s eternally above them all. Period.
I know lots of people who say that all religions are basically the same. Or that they share many similar truths and teachings. They then try to put Jesus on the same level with other religious leaders.
Let me just tell you something very simply and plainly. There ain’t no comparison. And why? Is it because we haven’t thought of something? Or there’s some hidden truth that puts Jesus on level ground with everyone else?
No. The reason there’s no comparison is because Jesus himself doesn’t do it. He doesn’t even allow for the possibility of it. He says that he alone is the way, the truth, and the life. There’s no other way to God the Father except through him[3]. He alone is the light of the world[4]. Because Jesus himself said these things about himself, you just can’t avoid them. So, why try?
Noodling Questions
How easy is it to avoid someone or something? Explain.
How did you learn to avoid people and things?
Why doesn’t God avoid us?
[2] Numbers 12:7,8
[3] John 14:6
[4] John 8:12
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