The Worth of the Individual

Matthew 8:1-4

HUMAN life has become a very cheap commodity in this world of chaos and war. Even in these United States, which boasts of being the most civilized nation in the world, the lawmakers seem to find it a great deal easier to pass legislation to conscript young men for the army to be killed than they do to raise taxes. This would seem to indicate that in their minds human life is not nearly as sacred as the “almighty dollar.”

In other countries, particularly behind the Iron Curtain, the regimentation of human life is much more general than here, and the worth of the individual as such is rated very low indeed compared to the value of the state machine of which he is an involuntary part. This un-Christian viewpoint is becoming more pronounced all the time, in practically all parts of the world. Probably this is the reason that the committee which selects these International Bible Lessons chose as today’s topic, “The Worth of the Individual.”

No one who reads the Bible honestly and with a sincere desire to learn God’s viewpoint can fail to realize that the great Creator of the universe values each one of his human creation. David inquires, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him?” and then answers, “Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thine hands.”—Ps. 8:4-6

God created our first parents in his image, and with powers of procreation. As the Creator planned it, each of Adam’s descendants would have been, as it were, a king in his own right, not over his fellow beings but as a partner in the dominion of the earth—the “kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matt. 25:34) True, this dominion was temporarily lost, but divine love has provided that through the redemptive work of Christ, fallen man is to be recovered, and his dominion restored to him.

So far as human ability is concerned, sin is incurable, and the Scriptures reveal that it is the cause of death. The dread disease of leprosy, therefore, is a fitting illustration of sin. Jesus’ miracles in curing those afflicted with leprosy would thus very aptly represent divine interest in all individuals of the sin-cursed world. Just as leprosy could be cured by the power of the Great Physician, so the disease of sin and death will yet be destroyed, and every individual member of the human race will be given a full opportunity to share in the provision of life thus made available.

The healing of the leper recorded in this lesson occurred as Jesus came down from the mountain after preaching that wonderful “Sermon on the Mount.” This was near the beginning of his ministry. He recognized that the arrangements of the Mosaic Law were still in effect, and under the Law it was required that a cleansed leper report to the priest that he might also be ceremonially cleansed.—Lev. 14:2

Jesus instructed the leper whom he had cleansed thus to report to the priest, as the Law required. He added that this would be a testimony to them; that is, to the religious leaders of Israel. This “testimony” could mean to them that Jesus was a prophet of God, and that he recognized the fact that they sat in Moses’ seat. It was not his work to remove them from their positions of authority in the nation. It could also have been a witness to the religious leaders of Israel that Jesus was the foretold Messiah. Thus they were made all the more responsible for their opposition to him.

Matthew 18:1-6

“WHO is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” One of the chief ambitions of fallen man is to become great, either in honor, or power, or wealth; or if possible, in all these ways. But those who enter into the kingdom of heaven and become associate kings with Jesus have to be “converted” from this viewpoint. The determination of a few to be great and to rule over their fellow men is one of the causes of regimentation today, and the consequent loss of individual worth. This will be changed under the ministration of Christ’s kingdom.

“Except ye … become as little children.” It should be obvious that Jesus is here merely using a child to illustrate simplicity and humility as necessary characteristics of those who will be joint-heirs with him in his kingdom. Many, however, have erroneously used this and similar statements by the Master in an attempt to prove that children go immediately to heaven when they die.

Actually, Jesus is not discussing the matter of who will go to heaven, either at death or at any other time. He is teaching his disciples the important lesson of humility and trust. And what a beautiful illustration he uses—the simple faith and humility of a child. The Lord resists the proud of heart, but gives his grace and help to the humble. We might temporarily impress our neighbors by strutting before them, but not the Lord. No member of the fallen race is truly great. The Lord knows this, and is quick to see through any veneer of greatness, and he is displeased with any of his professed people who try to appear what they are not.

As we have already seen, God loves the individual members of the entire human race. In this particular lesson, however, the emphasis is not on the people as a whole, but only on those who have covenanted to walk in the footsteps of Jesus; and each one of these is particularly dear to the heart of God, especially if they have become like little children in their humility and obedience.

These are so precious to the Lord that Jesus warns of the punishment which will come upon those who willfully “offend” any one of them. It may seem, at times, that the persecutions which come upon the Lord’s people are unnoticed by him, and that those responsible go unpunished, but this is not so. All the righteous blood shed throughout the ages prior to Jesus’ first advent was required of that generation to which the Master presented himself. There is a similar reckoning at the end of the Gospel age. Besides, there is a future day of reckoning for all individuals who have willfully “offended” any of the Lord’s “Little ones.”

Matthew 18:12-14

THE Parable of the Lost Sheep holds great interest for all sincere students of the Bible. In this account of the parable, one lesson Jesus draws from it is that the Heavenly Father does not want any of his “little ones” to be lost, to perish. How strongly this emphasizes God’s interest in his people individually, that he considers them to be of great worth.

This means that the Lord cares for us individually, and not merely as groups. Speaking of the insignificant sparrow, Jesus said that “not one of them is forgotten before God,” and then added, “Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”—Luke 12:6,7

We think that there is also a larger lesson in this parable—that the “lost sheep” might well illustrate the entire human race lost in sin and death. In the preceding verse the Master is quoted as saying. that he came to seek and to save that which was lost. This, of course, is true of individual sinners; but it is likewise true when we apply it to the entire human race, for Jesus’ mission to earth was on behalf of all mankind.

In this larger application of the parable, the other sheep, the ninety and nine, would represent the various angelic, or spiritual orders of creation, of which there are many—angels, principalities, and powers, and “every name that is named.” (Eph. 1:21) While it is true that there have been some individual angels which have transgressed God’s law and become sinners, the human creation is the only one which in its entirety, and representatively through “one man’s sin,” was lost outside the fold of God’s favor and fellowship. And it was this lost “sheep” which Jesus came to seek and to save.

In order to find and to save the lost race Jesus risked his eternal existence, and actually gave his human life in sacrifice. Thus was divine love manifested toward the sinner race, and all who accept the offer of help when it is clearly made known to them will not “perish, but have everlasting life.”—John 3:16

QUESTIONS

What is God’s viewpoint of the individual members of the fallen human race?

Why is leprosy a fitting symbol of sin?

When Jesus said of children, “Of such is the kingdom of heaven,” did he mean that children go to heaven when they die? Explain.

What lesson is contained in the Parable of the Lost Sheep?

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