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THE FATAL SPIRIT OF COMPARISON:
The Achilles Heel of Prophetic Discipleship
“Is
it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye
envious because I am generous?” Mt. 20:15
The only comparison
allowed in the kingdom of God is comparison against oneself. The kingdom of God
functions on an individualized system of justice and reward in which each
member is tried on the merits of His own faithfulness and obedience to the
Spirit of God against a Father-ordained potential.
This is contrary to the earthly system which is built
on a socialized standard of justice. In the socialized system, fairness is
determined corporately rather than individually. Statements such as “It is
only fair if it is fair for everybody” and “If I do it for you, I have
to do it for everyone” are examples of the socialized standard of justice.
In this system, rewards are meted out by objective standards to which all are
subject, and comparisons are conducted to make sure it is so.
But in the kingdom of
God, fairness is determined on a basis of unique personal covenantal
appointment between the Lord and each of His followers. In this system,
comparison of rewards and positions between and among members is illegal. This
is taught by the parable of the vineyard workers (Mt. 20) and is repeatedly
demonstrated through Christ’s other lessons to the disciples.
All positions in the kingdom of God are by
appointment of the Father over the course of the generations and ages according
to His sovereign placement of us in the time continuum (vineyard). We have
nothing to say about these placements. We do not know how our placement in time
affects what is possible to us in our final position in the kingdom. The only
thing we can know is that we have a certain covenanted potential and it is our
desire to fulfill that potential, no matter what “position” that potential has
the capacity to be revealed as in the manifest kingdom.
Over and over we are taught that our weighting and
judgment by the Lord is to be on a unique individual basis of fulfilled
personal obedience and achieved personal potential. That is the point of the
parable of the talents (Mt. 25). It is the point of the Lord’s word that “I
will render to every one of you according to your works.” And it is the
point behind Paul’s exhortations that “they who compare themselves with others
are not wise” and none of us must “judge another man’s servant.”
Comparison and Competition Vs. Servanthood and Unity
The spirit of comparison gives birth to spiritual competition
with others. Spiritual competition is a form of envy. Competition within the
disciplehood undercuts the other values that mark the kingdom and cripples
ability to live by them and fulfill true Father-ordained potential.
Specifically, competition is in direct opposition to servanthood and to unity.
It is impossible to serve those with whom one is
competing for kingdom position and relational favor in God’s eyes. It is in
turn impossible to maintain a spirit of unity with them. It is impossible to
work together with those with whom we feel the need to prove something about
the maturity of our spiritual knowledge or the advanced state of our walk with
God in relation to those with whom we labor.
Christ exemplified true servanthood and laid the groundwork
for true unity in the brotherhood. He was able to do this only by “making
Himself of no reputation.” In other words, He gave up all claim to
comparative self image, which is what “reputation” is. He stuck to His own
course and never left it to look at the course of others. To be sure, He had
goals. A “joy” and a “crown” was set before Him to obtain. But He made no
reputation within Himself based on that destiny, and never measured His destiny
against that of another.
But the disciples did not know how to do this. More
than anything, competition was behind their problems as a team. As the Lord’s
closest followers, their concept of “greatness” was rooted in their sense of
fraternal comparison relative to Him. This is why they argued among themselves
who should be “greatest in the kingdom” and continued to approach the Lord
regarding their placement relative to Him in contrast with the others. Even
after the resurrection, Peter still struggled, asking the Lord, “And what
shall this man do?”
But in the kingdom, greatness is not comparatively
measured. Greatness does not mean “greater than so-and-so.” To
get this across, Jesus told the followers if they would be great, they must be
servant to all. Get this. He is not saying that greatness is found through
servanthood—as if to say, “if you want to be greater than the others,
then serve them.” He is saying, “True greatness—which is non-comparative—is proven
by your ability to serve.”
Only the non-comparatively great have the
grace to serve others and demonstrate agape unity. Serving does not “make us greater
than those who do not serve.” Rather, practicing servanthood proves we
are being established in that personal self-standing non-comparative greatness
measured only by the Father’s evaluation of us.
The Vineyard Workers and the Elder Brother
Christ directly exposes the comparison spirit in the
parable of the vineyard workers. Each worker is hired at a different time and
bears a different measure of the day’s labor. Yet each is paid the “same” wage.
In the socialized justice system, this is obviously unfair and even illegal.
Companies can be shut down for paying different wages for the same work.
But in the individualized system, it is eminently
fair and just. The master promises to pay “each” that “which is right.” The
wage is individually negotiated without respect to the wage negotiated with
another, without regard to a corporate standard regarding the workload. But the
comparison spirit in the early workers leads them to envy the later workers who
are paid the “same” wage.
In reality, they were not paid the “same” wage. The
concept of “sameness” is irrelevant because there is no comparison in the
individualized system of reward by which the word “same” applies. Each was
simply paid “that” which “each” was “covenanted” with the master. That
is the point of the parable.
The Lord wants us to understand the individualized
justice system of the kingdom. He especially wants Peter to understand this, as
He has just come off telling Peter what Peter will receive as a result of
having been faithful to follow him: “You who give up everything for me will
receive all this…” In telling Peter this, He does not want to stoke Peter’s
flames of comparative justice [“Good, we get all this. The rest of those
faithless suckers get nothing!”] So the Lord immediately explains the non-comparative
system of reward.
The parable of the prodigal son also provides a
striking example of the comparison spirit in the disciple hearted. Like the
early workers in the vineyard parable, the elder brother removes his eyes from
His Father to compare his faithfulness with this returning prodigal brother.
This produces envy and resentment in him. It also undercuts his otherwise
stellar performance in service to His Father.
Had he no sense of comparison, the elder brother
would not have been offended at the feast thrown for his returned brother, but
would have gladly participated in it with His Father and the rest of the
servants. He would have realized his brother’s return had no impact on his own
standing with his Father.
Comparison Disqualifies Disciples
As just noted, the Lord gives the story
of the vineyard workers immediately upon commending Peter for being one who has
paid the prices of discipleship He has just outlined. Right between His promise
of reward to Peter and his cautionary parable about the vineyard workers, the
Lord gives this familiar
word: “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” (Mt. 19:30.) The application of this word is often
missed, but it speaks specifically to disciples about the issue of discipleship comparison.
When Jesus says here “the first will
be last,” he’s not talking about the Pharisees who hypocritically believe
they will be “first” while the sinners are “last.” He’s talking now to the disciples who believe they will be “first” because they have been
faithful to “bear the heat of the day” where others have not been as faithful or suffered as much will be “last.”
Jesus is saying that prophetic disciples who compare their faithfulness with those of less
faithfulness, and who measure the “maturity of their word” against that
of other prophetic disciples will find themselves last in God’s sight.
There are two hurdles to prophetic discipleship. The
first is to answer the call to obedient discipleship at all. We know most believers fail this call. The second however is, once we
answer the call of absolute surrender, to steadfastly reject comparing our own obedience and
maturity of revelation to that of others. In the realm of internet writing and
relationship I traverse, this is the greater problem I encounter and must face
within myself.
We must especially learn
how to deal with the comparison issue before we can trustworthily speak about
error and disobedience in the larger church. Comparison is the “log” we must
first pull from our own eyes. It is the root essence of the “judging” that is
forbidden to us and disqualifies us from the selfless objective “righteous
judgment” we are commanded to judge.
The Comparison Spirit and Prophetic Discipleship
Today
Comparison still remains the lurking pitfall to
faithful discipleship. Disciples are strivers for perfection, as we should be.
But our “Achilles heel” is our equal but less recognized struggle with the
poison of comparison with the “unfaithful” and our inability to put ourselves
at their service.
In discipleship circles, the comparison spirit is so
rife that the word “church” itself has essentially become the spiritual
equivalent of a “four letter word.”
Derogatory pronouncements about “the church—this” and “the church—that”
abound, underneath which is that unspoken word, “but we, the faithful
ones….the ‘remnant’...are not like that.”
We are also dogged by our pursuit of “spiritual
positions” of glory akin to the first disciples. Our endeavor to be part of the
“Bride,” or “the manifest sons” or the “144,000” or the “manchild” is in spirit
oft no different than the quest of James and John to “sit on Your right hand
and on your left.” But the fact is all these positions are by appointment of
the Father according to the potential worked out in the appointed.
We ultimately do not know to what position we have been appointed.
What we do know is we have a unique potential to
achieve, and it is to this alone we must be ultimately faithful—regardless what
revelation God gives us on these glorified positions and a desire to attain to
them. Our ultimate position will reveal itself in due course. Our pursuit must
ultimately be of Him. But if we strive for these positions per se in
their own right, we can’t prove ourselves in the servanthood unity by which our
potential is truly fulfilled, and whatever our position was to have been may be
forfeited.
A Word to My Fellow Disciples
Our lot as disciples is no easier today than it was
for the first disciples, even though we have all their lessons to teach us.
Their lessons remain as imperative to us as ever. We are not farther from them
but closer to them! For as we all close in on Zion’s pinnacle and the Lord’s
actual appearing, we are closer to touching each other’s unique courses in Him
and can easily interfere with one another rather than learn from one another.
We can still yield to those subtle nagging inner comparisons and secret
competitions with one another for His approval, His reward, His position. It’s
overcoming this challenge that brings us finally into that perfected circle of
heavenly eldership.
We must keep pressing on then to learn these lessons
even more deeply. Personally, as I get closer Christ and therefore closer to
you in your pursuit of Christ, I want to do so free from comparison and
competition with you! I want to prove I can serve you and have unity with you
as a fellow pursuer of our Lord’s excellence no matter where you are on the
mountain’s other side of wholesome revelation relative to me.
My “greatness” in the Lord’s kingdom is not measured
by your “lack of greatness,” the wages for my kingdom labor are not pegged to
the wages for your kingdom labor, and the Father’s appointed position for me is
not in conflict with yours! Our courses are very unique and personal. We are
ascending Zion from different approaches. But we are on the same mountain and
the same team.
So as the summit nears, let’s encourage one another
in what remains to us each of our races, and overcome the remaining distracting
temptations to competitions of maturities among ourselves and comparisons with
the “less faithful church.”
Chris Anderson
New Meadow Neck, RI, USA
First Love Ministry
- a ministry of Anglemar Fellowship
http://www.firstloveministry.com
5/06
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