In 1996 I witnessed the changing of the guard at the royal
palace of Prince Albert II of Monaco. The spectacle was impressive, especially against
the imposing backdrop of the royal residence. At precisely 11:55am Les Carabiniers du Prince, the royal
guard, paraded in front of the palace’s main gate. They were dressed sharply in
their dress uniforms and had M16 rifles on their shoulders. I wondered if they
were loaded. After much marching,
pivoting, saluting and presenting of arms the old guard replaced the new who took
their place standing at attention by the gate.
The Prince himself was in residence on that morning. I know
that because someone pointed out a white standard with a red insignia that
floated lazily atop one of the palace’s soaring ramparts, and explained that it
was the personal flag of Prince Albert II and when it was raised above the
palace it meant that he was inside. I wondered what he was doing in there-
watching TV? Drinking coffee? Taking a bath? Who knows?- and as I thought about
that I was suddenly impressed by the many barriers that kept common people like
me away from going into the presence of Prince Albert II. All of the walls, locked doors and M16’s
were designed to keep people from entering into the presence of the Prince of
Monaco.
How different is the Prince of Peace? We had been walled off
behind an impenetrable wall of sin, and He behind a wall of holiness, but,
according to Ephesians 2:12-13, Jesus came into the world to tear down the
barriers that separated us from Him. He
was called Emmanuel, which means “God with Us.” Because Jesus was born in a
stable, among the stink of animals and laid in a manger, the humble shepherds
found no barrier keeping them from entering into His presence. What if he had
been born in an imposing palace? With guards? The Shepherds would not have been
able to come in and behold Him as they did. Jesus had lowered Himself to such a
degree that He had become like one of them, a servant (Phil. 2:7) living among
the animals. Only those who were too prideful to enter into the stink and the
dirt of that place experienced a barrier that barred them from coming to Jesus.
It is still the same today. There is no barrier but pride that keeps us from
coming to Jesus. Only those who humble themselves and confess their need for a Savior
can enter into His presence, but those who pridefully refuse to bend their need
and confess their need cannot.
Philippians 2:3-11
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility
count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not
only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this
mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with
God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a
servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he
humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a
cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name
that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
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