Condescend to Men of Low Estate (Romans 12:16)

2023-06-10

Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. (Romans 12:16)

First, a few definitions:

Condescend: Not how we use it today. Elsewhere, it is translated “carried away with” or “led away with.”

High things: Translated once as “highly esteemed” (Luke 16:15).

Men of low estate: Translated as lowly, “them of low degree,” “those that are cast down, “base,” and “humble.”

The high things and the men of low estate contrast. These are opposites, yet the first are things and the second are people. The elite and the things esteemed by the world are not the focus. Those humble and not esteemed of the world are those we associate with. These were the ones the Lord associated with when He came: those who were outcasts and not esteemed by the world’s elite.

So why keep climbing to the heights that will be leveled? Be carried away with those who were cast away, where the Lord is. Because we are the ones of low estate.