Jesus was born to poor parents and his birth was in a stable. He never lived in a palace, never had servants wait on him, never lead an army. This was the God-man who took on the form of a servant. He washed his disciples’ feet. He had no place to lay his head. Jesus was humble when if anyone had a right not to be it was him.

One of the themes in 1 & 2 Samuel is that God humbles the proud and exalts the humble. Read Hannah’s prayer and then look for people being humbled and exalted throughout the books. Eli and his sons are humbled. Hannah is exalted and Peninnah is forgotten. Saul is exalted, then humbled. David goes from the last to first. Even the Philistines and their god Dagon are humbled before the presence of the Ark of the Covenant.

So it shouldn’t be confusing that Jesus would come in the form of a servant. From man’s standards, that was a lousy position to be in. The bottom rung of the success ladder. A nobody. But God sees things upside down. From God’s perspective, the humblest is the greatest. The last really are first. And so when Jesus came, he did come to the most exalted position. He came to the place that God loves and shows the most favor toward. If that doesn’t make sense to us, then we need to adjust our thinking.

God doesn’t really see things upside down. We do. It is perfectly normal for us to watch people walking on the ceiling as we sit on the floor wishing we could do that. But in truth, the rich, the proud, the popular, the beautiful, the powerful are really the most to be pitied. In the Kingdom, they shall be the very last. The have received their reward in full now. And life is but the blink of an eye and its over. That is nothing compared to eternity.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness? sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. – Matthew 5:4-11