There is a surpassing worth in knowing Jesus

There is a surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ more than anything else. By surpassing I mean outstanding or incomparable. There is no comparable beauty! For he is the image and glory of God.

Think of the most beautiful thing you have ever seen, yea the thing that makes your heart glad. It is normally the person we are in love with. As we behold them our heart is full of delight and gladness. So we pursue the joy of knowing them deeply and intimately. The very thing that deepens our pursuit is the very immediate feeling of awe that impresses itself upon our minds. That very thing is indescribable. It is not merely her eyes, or soft cheeks, or elegance of her stance, or her golden hair, or the gentleness of her spirit, or the efficacy of her ways upon you or the gracefulness that leaks from her attitude, it is not one of those things but all of it at once. So with all of this impression of satisfying beauty, which captivates and enlivens you, there is a surpassing worth in pursuing her than any other lady.

Likewise, if we have truly beheld Jesus, if we have set him before the eyes of our mind, then we would easily say with the Apostle, “that Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord.” I would easily count every other woman as a loss if I could but gain and know intimately the women my soul adores. It would be to me no great sacrifice but a very easy thing to do, that is if that joy of her beauty was always before me and because I know its worth.

Many simply have not beheld Jesus this way, that is they have not beheld his incomparable beauty, as to make them willing to forsake everything because there is a surpassing worth in knowing him more than anything else. Many are half-hearted because they love their estates, family, work, play, and all other earthly pleasures. Because they do not see with the eyes of their minds how infinitely Jesus is incomparable to these things, they love Jesus equally with these things or they love Jesus a little more or a little less. It is a travesty and Jesus would have no equal. it is not surprising then when Jesus said that ‘whoever does not love me more than father or mother is not worthy of me.’

Imagine if a man loved a caterpillar more than his wife. Is he worthy of his wife? Or if he loves a stray cat more than his own child. Is he worthy of his child? Common sense would tell us that he doesn't and yet there are many Christians who love infinitely lesser things to Jesus who is the eternal beauty of God. How awful! O forgive us for our trespasses! This indeed is a great trespass that we do not adore him as we ought.

So there is a surpassing worth of knowing Christ which is greater than all other worths. That is why scripture encourages us to set Jesus before our eyes. To seek those things which are above. Is seeking Jesus the first and greatest desire of your soul? Is he the most ravishing being that your soul adores? The surpassing pursuit of knowing Jesus will always lead to the satisfaction of our soul.

K.Oni