In the context of this discussion, there are two words for courage in the New Testament. One is courage that is rather normal, which is what may be shown by many persons placed in situations requiring courage. Such courage may be shown in boldness, or any well-known conduct that serves good purpose from the point of view of the courageous person, or for those served by an act of courage. This is seen in the conduct of many soldiers; or in meeting demands of a dangerous occupation, like doctoring a patient’s contagious disease; or, in holding ground before a rabble crowd; or birthing a child. But there is another word, used by the Apostle in this Romans text which means extreme courage. This is something beyond the normal human courage. It likely means risking all that the individual has for good purpose. It is not courage for courage sake, but may give up life, interpreting it as worth the act of courage in the returns to others.
It took an act of extreme courage for One, Who knew His worth was greater than the reward of the courage, to die, the far greater for the much lesser. In human terms one might choose to die when he feels his death is for one he favors more highly than he favors his safety. This might cause a mate to die for the life of a mate, or a parent for a child, but one would not, as a valuable and useful contributor to society, choose to die for the wretched derelict in the gutter. The Apostle is stating that that is what Jesus did. The highest died to redeem even the lowest. The worth of God is greater than the worth of the human race. Surely that is humbling for the race, but the love that sent Christ to Calvary humbles God. That paradox of the humbling of Christ, Who had nothing to be humble about, to die for man who has so much to be humble about, is mind boggling.
Mankind usually thinks of the greater being served by the lesser. King David’s men thought he was to be spared battle because he was worth thousands of foot soldiers. God, in His concern for man, reversed the psychology. The lesser was to be served by the greater. This is partly what the founders of the American society declared to the world: that the divine right of kings that held together with limited subjects, peasants, was to be replaced by a society of citizens that held together government officials who served the public good. Kings have never been the same since. The psychology reversed. The master became the server. The rich and mighty were brought low. It is the pattern of Scripture, somewhat contradictory to unaided human concept.
My wife once asked me how I felt walking more slowly so as to be in step with her. I said that it grew out of the Lord’s principle, that since we could not rise to His pace, He entered our World and walked at our step. He did it for us, and we should take similar attitude in relationships with others. Achievers sometimes look down on those who do not achieve or act as they do. They would do well to learn the history of God among humankind, not only in creation, but in the courage to live for persons who may not care that He slowed down to live and die for them – then live again. In this perception is part of living patiently in heroic love for others. The question is: Do I have the courage to change from personal norms to divine? No wonder we find patience in the Scripture as a major advancement for Christian experience. It takes courageous courage to live out the life of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It does not work easily when one is encountered by fools, by hate, by violence, by selfishness, and other ugliness that some persons can impose on others and society in general. To be a server is to please God. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020