The Best 'Number Two'

Sometimes people ask me who is my favourite character in the Bible (other than God... or Jesus... basically anyone outside of the Trinity) and they're often surprised at my answer. They expect me to say someone like Abraham, Moses, Elijah or Paul but in fact its Jonathon.

Throughout 1 Samuel we hear the stories of Saul, Jonathon and David and the changing relationships between them. Jonathon was an awesome Leader, Warrior, Prince and Friend. He held the respect of all the people because he was a man of honour, goodness and strength.

But the thing that makes Jonathon stand out above all these qualities was his humility. Here was Jonathon, the first-born son to King Saul and rightful heir to the throne of Isreal. He had all the qualities of a great King and He feared God yet when he saw David, the man that God had annointed King, he humbly and without fuss stepped into line with the will of God. He forfeited the earthly kingdom that was by rights his, in order to pursue the Kingdom of God. He became the greatest 'Number Two' guy and happily served the man he recognised as God's 'Number One'.

Very few of us are called to be God's Number One but we are all Number Two's, serving not just our Pastors or Church Leaders, but above all these things to serve Jesus as God's Ultimate and Eternal Number One.

Jonathon displayed the truest of humilty. He didn't use humilty as an excuse to hold back from doing awesome things, but faced with the will of God he gave absolutely no thought to himself. C.S. Lewis writes in Mere Christianity that true humilty is to lose all sense of self when in the Presence of God. This is why Jonathon is the man (other than Jesus) that I most want to meet when I get to Heaven.