Undercover Boss

Did you happen to catch CBS' newest show, Undercover Boss, after the Superbowl? The premise of the show is that CEO's from multi-million dollar corporations go "undercover" and do the low end jobs along side of their employees. This particular episode had Waste Management's COO go undercover and he ended up leaving his corporate office and exchanging his suit and tie, for work boots, work clothes in order to sort trash, ride garbage trucks and clean outhouses (which involves sucking up poop). After doing the dirty work for a week, he returned to his corporate office, with greater understanding and knowledge of how his company works and how his everyday decisions as a boss effects his employees.

As I watched the show, I couldn't help but think of Jesus. His life on earth was the epitome of an undercover boss. He left the glory of heaven, His robes of splendor, all of His rights as the Son of God to come to earth:

Philippians 2:5-7

Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

The boss on the show, didn't take on the "easy jobs;" he did hard work. He wasn't very good at any of the jobs and he was exhausted every night. But he received some valuable information while he was in the trenches. When he returned to the corporate office he implemented changes from what he had learned which made life better for those in the "lower level" jobs. When Jesus went "undercover" he too didn't take the easy road. He chose to be born to a poor family, he chose to invest His life in Judas, even though He knew Judas would later betray Him. He allowed Himself to be beaten, spit upon and humiliated by men. Why did He do this? The Bible states that because of what Jesus endured in His human form it does make a difference for us here on earth:

Hebrews 4:14-16

Therefore, since we have a great high priest

who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God,

let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize

with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted

in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence,

so that we may receive mercy and find grace

to help us in our time of need.

Jesus provided the ultimate sacrifice for us and He didn't return to Heaven and say, "That humanity thing is a breeze; those people should be able to figure it out all on their own." Rather, the Bible says, "He sympathizes with our weakness." He didn't succumb to the weaknesses, like we so often do, but rather He overcame them. As a result, He has invited us to come into His presence with confidence; He will help us in our time of need.

In Christ,