A Little Lower Than The Angels

Hebrews 2:6-13

We humans like to imagine ourselves as the height of God’s creation. It is hard for us to imagine or understand anything beyond our own experience. Rich powerful people have trouble understanding those less fortunate. I sometimes wonder if animals are as confused by us as we are by their actions. Even in dealing with animals, we tend to ascribe human motivations to them in our efforts to relate. As a result, we make seriously flawed decisions about them. Psychologists have tried to interpolate results with animals to humans with erratic consequences as a result. Similarities do not make us the same.

Dr. Temple Grandin, author of Animals In Translation is autistic. She finds it difficult to function in a human oriented world. As a result of her studies of animals, she realized that her perception of the world was more similar to that of some animals than to that of most people. At the same time she had a human brain and could reason that her perceptions were different, making her able to function like a person. The result has been major discoveries about animal behavior. As she says, her autism made it easy to understand what the animals see. Her human mind still sometimes makes it difficult for her to completely understand the animals actions, and her body is unable to react in the same way.

Mankind is lower than the angels, of which there appear to be several orders, all of which are lower in capabilities than God, their creator. The difference between man and God is greater than the difference between man and a dog, yet people become very closely attached to their dogs. God has reached out to man in similar but much more intimate way, sending his own son to become one of us. No dog lover could, and most wouldn’t be willing to become dogs to develop a better relationship.

Jesus became one of us to enable us to have a relationship with God. He took on himself our nature, and our body, even suffering a human death to enable us to have that relationship with God. Because of his love for us that made him willing to do so, he has been designated to be the ruler of all God’s creation.

“But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. ” (Hebrews 2:6-9)

The same concepts are expressed in Philippians 2, when Paul describes Jesus’ decision to become a man in order to save mankind. He even took the form of a lowly servant, rather than that of a powerful business man or political figure. Isaiah 53:2 tells us there was nothing about his physical appearance that would attract attention and many people ignored him or tried to use him to get healing or food without accepting him, just as they do today.

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11)

While he has not yet received his kingdom, it is already his, held in trust until the final judgment, when everything is made right, much like the heir to a home, waiting until it is remodeled before taking possession.