Natural love expects some return, but Paul says - I do not care whether you love me or not, I am willing to destitute myself completely, not merely for your sakes, but that I may get you to God.

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor.

Paul's idea of service is exactly along that line - I do not care with what extravagance I spend myself, and I will do it gladly. It was a joyful thing to Paul.

The ecclesiastical idea of a servant of God is not Jesus Christ's idea. His idea is that we serve Him by being the servants of other men. Jesus Christ out-socialists the socialists. He says that in His Kingdom he that is greatest shall be the servant of all.

The real test of the saint is not preaching the gospel, but washing disciples' feet, that is, doing the things that do not count in the actual estimate of men but count everything in the estimate of God.

Paul delighted to spend himself out for God's interests in other people, and he did not care what it cost.

We come in with our economical notions - "Suppose God wants me to go there - what about the salary? What about the climate? How shall I be looked after? A man must consider these things." All that is an indication that we are serving God with a reserve.

The apostle Paul had no reserve. Paul focuses Jesus Christ's idea of a New Testament saint in his life, viz.: not one who proclaims the Gospel merely, but one who becomes broken bread and poured out wine in the hands of Jesus Christ for other lives.

He became the Son of Man that we might become the sons of God. Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, child of a peasant woman. He had neither wealth nor influence, neither training nor education; yet in infancy He startled a king; in boyhood He puzzled the doctors. In manhood He walked upon the billows and hushed the sea to sleep. He healed the multitudes without medicine and made no charge for His services. He never wrote a book, yet all the libraries of the world could not hold the books that could be written about Him. He never wrote a song, yet He has furnished the theme of more songs than all songwriters combined. He never founded a college, yet all the colleges together cannot boast of as many students as He.

“Though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

How poor? Ask Mary! Ask the Wise Men! He slept in another’s manger. He cruised the lake in another’s boat. He rode on another man’s ass. He was buried in another man’s tomb.

While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away from Him. One of them denied Him; another betrayed Him and turned Him over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon the Cross between two thieves. His executioners gambled for His coat.

Yet, all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man as powerfully as has this one solitary life!

Great men have come and gone, yet He lives on! Death could not destroy Him! The grave could not hold Him!

“Look how the whole world has gone after him!” (John 12:19).

“Let us also go” (John 11:16).

“If you seek him, he will be found by you” (1 Chronicles 28:9).

Find Him!

The poorest man that ever walked the dirt roads of earth! Born in poverty, reared in obscurity, yet He enriched all mankind!

For twenty years He worked as a carpenter in that village which bore the scorn of men: “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46 KJV).

As far as we know He never possessed the value of one penny. In the wilderness without food, by Jacob’s well without water, in the crowded city without a home—thus He lived, and loved, and died!

The foxes find rest, And the birds have their nests In the shade of the forest tree, But Thy couch was the sod, O Thou Son of God, In the desert of Galilee.

He preached without price and wrought miracles without money. His parish was the world. He sought breakfast from a leafing fig tree. He ate grain as He walked through the field of corn. Without money, did I say? He sent Peter to the sea for the fish that they might have money for the tax! He had no cornfields or fisheries, yet He could spread a table for five thousand and have bread and fish to spare! No beautiful carpets to walk on, yet the waters supported Him!

So poor was He that He must needs bear His own cross through the city, till fainting He fell. His value was thirty pieces of silver—the price of a slave, the lowest estimate of human life. But, on God’s side, no lower price than His infinite agony could have made possible our Redemption! When He died, few men mourned; but a black crepe was hung over the sun. His crucifixion was the crime of crimes!

It was not merely human blood that was spilled on Calvary’s hill!

He did not have a house where He could go When it was night—when other men went down Small streets where children watched with eager eyes, Each one assured of shelter in the town, The Christ sought refuge anywhere at all: A house, an inn, the roadside, or a stall!

He borrowed the boat in which He rode that day, He talked to throngs along the Eastern lake; It was a rented room to which He called The chosen twelve the night He bade them break The loaf with Him, and He rode, unafraid, Another’s colt in that triumph-parade.

A man from Arimathea had a tomb Where Christ was placed when nails had done their deed.

Not ever in the crowded days He knew, Did He have coins to satisfy a need.

They should not matter, these small things I crave. Make me forget them, Father, and be brave!

“THE TRANSIENT” BY HELEN WELSHIMER

Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.—Of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.—My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.—God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.

Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?—Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.

We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.—Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips.—All bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.

Ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.—He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.—We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen.

O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.—I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.

He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.—Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.—As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us.—I JOHN 3:16.

The love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.—Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.—Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.—Christ . . . suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.

Ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.—We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him.

Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire: mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.

There is no God else beside me: a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might become rich.—For where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.

That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.—Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.—According to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, . . . though he was rich, yet for your sakes . . . became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.—The brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.—Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation.

The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

All things are yours: whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.