When God calls us, our concept of "social structure" is most likely based on the standards of the world we grew up in. Who is important, who is less important? Jesus' apostles are an example of this. More than once, they argued about who was the greatest among them.

Whatever our concept of social structure was, the Gospels, with their portrayal of Jesus' mindset, probably refute our concept by proclaiming that all people have the potential to be eternally adopted into the family of God as followers of a great King. God calls us to embrace this destiny for our lives, but also that we then recognize this potential in every person we meet. This change in our thinking may not be come easy for us.

God's social structure is radically different from the one we experience every day. Think about this the next time you go on a trip. Those who travel a lot and have elite status with airlines and hotel chains are given special privileges. They are treated like kings and queens, with upgrades to first class on flights and large suites in hotels. They get to check in first, board first, bypass long lines at security, etc.

And then we have the "celebrities" of society, mostly in the entertainment industry, who are almost worshiped by some with their thousands of "followers" on social media. If a "celebrity" ever expresses an opinion on a social or political issue, it is immediately more important than the opinion of the average citizen.

Now imagine that Jesus was the owner of an airline. The announcement before boarding would be different than what we usually hear:

"Dear passengers, welcome to Jesus Airlines. We are pleased that you have chosen us. With us, things are a bit different than what you may be used to. At Jesus Airlines, we board by zones. Zone 1 includes those who are absolutely without any status in this world, the lowest of the low on the frequent flyer totem pole. Zone 2 is our Gold class, our passengers who think they are better than others and look down on people. And Zone 3 are our Platinum passengers, the over-privileged, perpetually pampered frequent flyers. For them, there are only middle seats and no room for carry-on luggage. At Jesus Airlines, our motto is: the first will be last and the last will be first. Thank you for flying with Jesus Airlines."

Who doesn't like to be treated like a VIP? We all enjoy VIP service. Jesus tells us that even the least among us deserve it, because with God, in terms of our potential, there are no least. We all have the same potential.

Therefore: "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26-28).

With these thoughts I wish everyone a rewarding Sabbath!