The next statement we shall consider is found in Matt.20: 28, where our Lord says -so beautifully, "The
Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister", -in other words, He is here, not to be served,
but TO SERVE. That is His explanation to us that is why He came.
We notice, in the passage (v.20 onwards), the Lord had been drawn into a discussion concerning His
coming Kingdom, and He points out that in His Kingdom there will be a big difference from all other
kingdoms, -where the "top ones" are the ones who hold the authority. In His Kingdom it will be the "low
ones", or lowly ones, who will be chief. It is at that point that He makes His statement that He Himself
did not come to be served, but TO SERVE.

Most of us will agree that this was something quite revolutiof1ary. Amongst us, it is quite normal for any
king to have, around him, a whole, retinue of courtiers who are dedicated to the meeting of his needs,
-providing him with every possible comfort. Not so with the Great Son of Man. He is here to serve, -not
to be served. He is here to take the basin and the towel (See John 13:3-5) and wash the feet of His
ever-aspiring disciples. His Kingdom is, and will be, an entirely different Kingdom. It will be "heavenly"
-not "earthly". How slow we all are to learn that servanthood is the essence of real kingliness!
If we ask, -to what extent would He be prepared to serve us, -what will be the limits? -the answer is
supplied in the closing words of the same sentence, -to serve, AND

TO GIVE HIS LIFE A RANSOM
FOR MANY" (Matt.20:28). In other words, there are no limits! This Son of Man (Messiah) will pay the
price for our sins; -He will die for us ON CALVARY! 0, what a servanthood is that, -Messiah dying for
His rebel creatures. What a revelation! And then will come the resurrection! Hallelujah!
Are we not right in saying that all this puts to shame our own mean thoughts about "serving"? In the case
of Christ it was to be a case of vicarious sacrifice, -the Holy Lamb of God taking upon Himself, and
"carrying away" the sins of the world (John 1: 29). He was God's "Second Man" dying for the first man,
-Adam and all Adam's offspring. It was a great over- payment, but a payment just the same, -willingly
paid on our behalf. That, He says, is why He came, -that is the "service" He will render. Bethlehem will
lead on to Calvary, -Christ will die, "the Just for the unjust, that He might bring US to God" (1 Pet.3: 18).
That, He says, is why He came. We say, surely, surely, there is no message like the Christian Gospel!

The question still remains, however, -"How can people like ourselves actually receive the benefits of
what Christ has done?" What will be THE WAY IN to all these blessings? How are we to respond?
Thank God, our Lord has made that plain also, and, -in Luke 5:32, He shows us THE APPOINTED
WAY. Again speaking of His coming to Bethlehem, He says: "I am not come to call the righteous, but
sinners to REPENTANCE". That, we may say, is WHY He came; -He is here to issue His call to sinners.

As to the so-called "righteous", He has nothing to say to them. If, in spite of all they have heard, they still
persist with their delusions that they have some "righteousness" of their own, they must continue in their
folly, -and to their doom. They will hear no call from the Saviour. If, on the other hand, they will face up
to the truth, -sweet music will reach them, -the "music" of His voice, and the Gospel call.
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Hebron Messenger
It is interesting to note that, at the very commencement of His public ministry, our Lord said, "Repent ye,
and believe the Gospel (Mark 1: 15). As for the word "repent", the original (METANEUO) signifies" a
change of mind", or, "an amendment in the seat of moral reflection" (W.E. Vine; - Gk. Dictionary). In our
own simple terms it just means a change in the direction in which we have been going; -a genuine "about
turn". For long, we have had our faces toward sin, and our backs toward God; -now that whole attitude
must go into reverse. As with those Thessalonians believers of old, we must "turn to God from 'idols' to
serve the Living and True God" (1 Thess.1: 9). Or, as with that Prodigal Son, it must be "Backs to the
pigs, and faces toward HOME, - and to awaiting and patient father" (See Luke 15:14-24). And how
wonderful it is that God graciously HELPS us in that also! He" gives us repentance" (Acts 11: 18), -and
He "draws us to Himself" (John 6:44).

Let us all respond to those pleadings, and let us "believe" God's own glorious Gospel. Christ has given
His Life a Ransom for us; He is RISEN FROM THE DEAD, -"alive for evermore" (Rev.1: 18). Let us
make HIM our All. Christ came into the world that we might do just that. May He, indeed, help us!

SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS
BAKHT SINGH

Reading: 2 Kings 6 :1-18; Luke 24: 13-48 The king of Syria sent a very large army, with horses and
chariots to capture Elisha, because he revealed his secret plans to the king of Israel. In the morning,
Elisha's servant went outside and saw the great army and cried out to his master saying, "Alas, my
master! How shall we do?" He was full of fear. Elisha told him that he had no need to be afraid because
they had a greater and mightier army than the enemy. The servant thought, "Is my master trying to fool
me? Where is this army he is talking about?" Elisha had told the truth but the servant was blind and that
is why he could not see the heavenly army. When Elisha prayed, God opened the eyes of the young man.

Then he saw the whole mountain full of horses and chariots of fire.
This young man had been serving Elisha, the man of God, and had seen many miracles. Yet he was blind.
He had seen Naaman being cured of leprosy. Also, in 2 Kings 4:38-44, when Elisha came to Gilgal, there
were a hundred sons of the prophets waiting to see him. One man went out to gather some leaves for
cooking and unknowingly gathered wild poisonous herbs. When they sat for food they discovered that
there was poison in the food. They cried out to Elisha. He asked them to cast some meal in the food. Then
they were able to eat it without danger. Again, in vs.42-44, he had seen Elisha performing another
miracle of multiplying food. The servant of Elisha had seen all these miracles. But his eyes were not yet
opened to see heavenly things. He was spiritually blind.

After Naaman was healed of his leprosy, he brought some gifts for Elisha, because his heart was full of
gratitude. But Elisha refused to receive this gift. Gehazi thought to himself that Elisha had made a very
big mistake. So he ran behind the chariot, told a lie to Naaman and got for himself some silver and two
changes of garments. He came back home, hid the things cleverly and with pretended innocence came
and stood before Elisha. For this reason he became leprous. Even though he had been with the man of
God for such a long time and had the privilege of learning many things and seeing the great power of
God through Elisha, his heart was still full of love and greed for money, gold and silver. His lie and greed
for money made him spiritually blind, and he could not see the horses of fire, which the Lord had kept for
Elisha. Many people, including servants of God, become blind spiritually because of their love for earthly
things, like money and fame; and they increase their sins by telling many lies. Thus their faith becomes
weak and they lose spiritual sight.

There are different kinds of physical blindness. Spiritually also there are different kinds of blindness.
First of all, according to 2 Cor.4:4 the god of this world blinds the minds of people that they may not
believe, and the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ cannot shine upon them. They cannot understand
God's love for them. They will hear man -made stories and believe them; but they will rebel against the
Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. They cannot understand how Christ died and rose again for their sakes.
Only the power of God can remove this blindness. Elisha prayed for his servant, and God heard him. He
forgave the servant and opened his eyes. So we also must pray for people and God will open their eyes to
receive the Gospel of Christ.

We read about the Lord Jesus Christ healing a blind man in Mark 8:22-26. The Lord took that man aside,
spat on his eyes, put his hands upon him and asked him if he saw anything. The blind man looked up and
said. "I see men as trees, walking". He did see something, but his vision was not clear. That is partial
blindness. The Lord gave him another touch and then he got clear vision. There are people who know
something about the Lord Jesus that He died on the cross for their sins. But they have little understanding
about truths like the cleansing power of the precious blood, or God's eternal purpose for their lives. They
do not have clear understanding of God's forgiveness. As a result they live a life of defeat and failure.

Such partially blind people need a second or even a third touch from the Lord. Clear understanding does
not come through human wisdom; it comes only through the touch of the Lord.