Assessment

"God is testing the children of man," Ecclesiastes 3:18.

We kind of got this, didn't we? That life was some kind of test. OK. But what kind of test? To assess how much further we need to go? Or to sort us into categories by certain criteria? Or by norms? To examine the degree to which the universe trains us? To predict how we'll do next time around? Well, the Preacher here doesn't really tell, except to note that the test compares humans and beasts: They're all alike. Have the same fate - death. Have the same breath. Made from the same dust. Go back to the same dust. Neither has advantage. And who knows about their spirits? Nothing has value. (Yipes! what cheery thoughts.) But wait! Look now: the son of man, Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, who shared in our own flesh and blood, we see him now crowned with glory and honor. And without shame Jesus calls us family.

So God crowns his son triumphant ... then Jesus glorified says, Here am I, with the brothers and sisters you gave me! And we worship. Remind a brother or sister today of this highest assessment God assigns to us all.