A
study was done that found chickens have a pecking order to determine their rank.
If you put ten chickens in a pen they will quickly establish an order of
dominance from greatest to the least. The most dominant chicken is #1 and pecks
on the other nine. It struts around clucking, “I’m the greatest chicken around
here!”
The
#2 chicken submits to #1’s pecking, but pecks on chickens #3-10. And so on,
down to the lowly #10 chicken—who gets picked on and pecked on by the other nine.
If they only knew that all chickens are equal and will one day end up at Chick-fil-A
or KFC. The pecking order of importance only exists in the chicken’s mind.
Humans also have a
pecking order
of significance, where some people push others around so they’ll feel more
important than the next guy. Even the disciples got caught up in this and
argued among themselves over who was the greatest (Luke 9:46). They were trying
to establish a pecking order and I’m sure a few of them got their feathers
ruffled.
Do
you think they pointed fingers at each other saying, “YOU are the greatest.” Someone
else says, “No, YOU are the greatest!” I don’t think so. They pointed fingers
at themselves saying, “I AM the greatest.” “No, I’M the greatest.” They stopped
thinking about how great Jesus was and started thinking about how great they
were.
Jesus
said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and
their great mean exercise authority over them” (Matt. 20:25). But God’s
Kingdom is just the opposite. We are not to be like the pagans who brag about
themselves and belittle others. Jesus reversed the pecking order and said, “Whoever
wishes to become great among you
shall be your servant, and whoever
wished to be first among you shall
be your slave” (20:26-27).
That’s
not a very popular verse nowadays. After all, who wants to be the #10 chicken? www.makinglifecount.net
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BIBLE STUDY: “Resolving
Conflicts”
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