Jesus said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me (Luke 9:23). In the Gospels, Jesus' command for us to follow Him appears repeatedly and following Jesus means obeying His word, going where He leads, learning to be like Him, walking in His steps, and conforming to His example. In the same vein the Apostle John said, “whoever says he abides in Him (Christ) ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.” (1 John 2:6)
Now, in order to walk the way He walked and be conformed to His example, we need to examine Him closely through the scriptures so as to discover how He handled different situations, how He lived as a man here on earth, His attitude, His lifestyle and His character. As we begin this study of His life, it won’t take long to realize that, at the center of Christ’s personality is His other-centeredness, a genuine care for others, which is the direct opposite of self-centeredness or selfishness.
The greatest example of other-centeredness is seen in the life of Christ. Here is the King of Kings (1 Tim 6:15), the begotten son of God who left His heavenly throne to come and dwell with sinful men. Mankind was lost in sin and at enmity with God. In order to make things right and reconcile men back to God He left His heavenly glory and came to the earth to be an example and a scape goat, who was mocked and brutalized. He wasn’t self focused, He had the power to create wealth in order to buy as many horses as He wanted, to dwell in the best of houses but He didn't use His power to do any of these, rather He channeled all that power and authority to preach, teach, heal, deliver, reconcile men back to God and destroy the works of darkness.
The bible says in 1 Cor. 10:24 "Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being". This was exactly what Jesus did throughout his days on earth and even right now in heaven because He is before the Father advocating for us (1 John 2:1). Another example of how Jesus embodied selflessness was when He met the Samaritan woman by the well. The bible records that he was tired and his disciples went into the city to get food. Jesus had the right to rest, to lay His head down and take a nap but He gave up that right to minister and bring salvation not only to the woman but also to the entire town.
Finally, the highest point where we can clearly see Jesus’ other-centeredness while He walked here on earth was at the cross. A medical analysis of death by crucifixion asserts that the nailing of hands and the feet would have forced Him to push up against the weight of his own body to take a single breath. So Jesus couldn’t talk much while He was hanging on the cross, and the few statements He made had to be extremely important for Him to have gone through the pain and agony of uttering them. Four out of the seven statements Jesus made on the cross were totally about others. He wasn’t busy complaining about His pain. He wasn’t self-centered.
His first statement on the cross was His prayer for the very people who killed Him: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). That was astounding! Then His second statement was His response to one of the thieves that was crucified along with Him who said to Him “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom” and Jesus replied "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:42-43). Thirdly, in order to ensure Mary, His mother would be taken care of after He was gone, He said to his mother "Woman, behold your son!” and said to John, “Behold your mother!" (John 19:26-27). Then, before His final words on the cross, He made that famous announcement which marked a new day in the history of mankind: "It is finished" (John 19:30). The victory was won over sin, flesh, satan and death. The price of our redemption was paid in full. We were set free. Halleluiah!
My friends, let us examine ourselves and learn of Him. Are you absorbed in selfish ambition? Are you self-focused and immersed in selfishness? Are you always thinking about yourself and seeking your own interest without considering the well being of others? What are you doing for the good of others? Let us choose to walk in His steps, let us choose to be other-centered. Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. (Phil 2:4)
Oh God, transform us into your likeness, help us to be selfless like you! Amen.
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