Friday, May 8, 2009

The Less is Blessed of the Better

Hebrews 7:7

Any time that someone blesses someone else, the Bible says that without contradiction, the person doing the blessing is better than the one being blessed. When you become the blesser, you place yourself in a position of superiority over those who you are blessing, making it the premium position to be the one doling out the blessings rather than the one always looking to receive them.

This principle begins when Abraham pays tithes to the priest Melchisedec in Genesis 14. Melchisedec was, “without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God” (Hebrews 7:3). Actually, Melchisedec is the Old Testament incarnation of Jesus Christ. Without being prompted to do so, Abraham gives a tenth of all that he has gained, establishing the principle of the tithe, prior to the giving of the law. In response to Abraham’s generosity, Melchisedec blesses, “him that had the promises” (Hebrews 7:6).

We see another example of this when the old man Simeon, who had it revealed to him by the Holy Ghost that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Christ, comes into the temple to meet Joseph and Mary and the baby Jesus (Luke 2:26-34). He takes the infant in his arms and blesses God. His blessing of God was not him giving a blessing to God but rather praising him for allowing him to see the Messiah in his lifetime. Notice however, that Simeon does not bless the child, which is an odd thing to leave out. He will not bless the baby, for the less is always blessed of the better, and he realizes that he is not better than this child!

To further the principle, Simeon then blesses Joseph and Mary (Luke 2:34), while still not blessing the child. It is as if the Holy Spirit draws attention to the fact that the parents receiving the blessing but not the child. When we realize that God puts such a premium on the one doing the blessing, it is no surprise to see Simeon’s reluctance.

When you speak blessings into someone’s life, you are placing yourself in a greater position than they are in. Why deny someone blessings when you know the benefits that you receive by being the minister of grace into their life? I am ashamed to admit that I used to say that you should be stingy with whom you say “God bless you” to, for they may be undeserving. Of course they are undeserving, aren’t we all? Now, I am quick to give blessings out, knowing that if the less is blessed of the better, I want to be the better one.

There is a difference in giving your peace out to everyone that you see and in blessing those around you. Jesus gave His peace to His disciples and thus to us (John 14:27), but He also told us to give that peace out to those who are worthy (Matthew 10:13). They are worthy if they receive us and our words (verse 14). In other words, if they are receptive to the message of God’s grace and goodness, leave them a bit of your peace, speaking that into their lives; but if they are closed to it, “shake off the dust of your feet” (Matthew 10:14).

Find someone to bless today, and remember that when you do, the less is always blessed of the better.

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