Page 169 - Evidence of Things Unseen

the mighty man above the weak. God does not choose the wise man more than the foolish.
He favors whom He chooses, and He hardens whom He will. From the same lump of clay
He fashions one man to receive His honor, and another for dishonor. (Romans 9:21)
That God would choose to have mercy on one man over another strikes the heart of
fallen man as capriciousness. Rebellion is stirred up in the natural mind, and it is exhibited
as hatred and a spirit of murder toward those who receive the Father’s favor. Christ
described the logic of fallen man in the following parable.

Luke 20:13-14
“Then said the Lord of the vineyard, “What shall I do? I will send my beloved son.
It may be that they will reverence him when they see him.” But when the
husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, “This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.”

In these words, the heart of fallen man is revealed. If men truly loved God, they would
honor those whom He honors, they would love those whom God loves. When the sons of
Jacob spoke of murdering Joseph, they knew such an act would grieve their father deeply.
They proved that they cared little for their father when they sold Joseph into slavery and
made it appear as if a wild beast had slain him. When Jacob received this evil report of his
sons he entered into deep mourning for Joseph and would not be comforted (Gen.
37:34-35). In a similar manner, the Jewish people revealed that they did not have God the
Father’s desires in mind, for they slew His beloved Son.
Let me point out an important part of this parable. Joseph had his garment stripped
off twice, perfectly paralleling a work in the life of Christ. The first time Joseph was stripped
of his garment of honor was when his father sent him to his brothers. (Gen. 37:13)
Similarly, Yahshua emptied Himself and took on the form (garment) of a bondservant when
His Father sent Him to His brethren. (Phil. 2:7) Even as Joseph had the robe of favor
removed from him, Christ did not consider equality with God something to be held onto,
but laid aside the glory He shared as He dwelt with the Father, and took the form of a slave.
This first stripping of Joseph and Yahshua is something all disciples must experience.
Christ said that a disciple is not above his master, but must become like his master. “Before
honor, comes humility.”
All who come to Christ must lay aside the honor, the glory, the reputation and esteem
they had in this world. This is far more difficult for the rich than the poor, for the mighty
than the weak, for those esteemed as wise than those without esteem. To be a disciple of
Christ is to be reproached, scorned, mocked, and ridiculed. The ways of Christ are not the
ways of the world. What man esteems is despised in the eyes of God. To surrender to be led
of the Spirit of Christ is to embrace a life of humility.
In 1999 the Spirit of Christ challenged me to follow wherever He would lead. I had a
good job as a computer professional. I had honor among my co-workers. I had honor in my
church, serving as a minister. When I surrendered to follow the Spirit I was led to leave my
place of employment to begin a ministry of writing. My circumstances became much more
humble. Many in the church could not accept such a walk as the will of God. I was soon cast
out of the church. Outwardly my standard of living declined greatly.
In a similar way Joseph left the abundance of dwelling with his father and became a
slave in Egypt; Christ emptied Himself of the glory He shared with the Father and took on
the form of a bondservant. Even in human terms, His life was a humble one. Yahshua was