You’re Somebody!  Matthew 5.13

“I’m Somebody!”

Are you?  If so, how do you know?  How would you know?

Watch and smile:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7aIf1YnbbU

If you aren’t able to access the link, you ought know it was of Steve Martin, proclaiming, ‘I’m Somebody!’ after seeing his name in the white pages of the telephone book.  We smile at Steve Martin—my favorite comedian of all time—yet, his feeling of needing to be ‘somebody’¹ is familiar to all of us, if we are honest. 

Yes, never far off is the desire to be somebody who matters,

   Somebody of significance in some fashion;

     Somebody in our children’s eyes and estimation,

      the somebody we will be proud of in years to come …

        and I pray somewhere in our thinking is the highest goal of       

          being somebody to whom God says, ‘Well done!’²

Fact is, people all around us are crying out for some sort of personal identity that matters, sometimes without even knowing it.  We certainly see the struggle of teen-aged young people to ‘become somebody’, but really, is it a quest—that of being somebody who matters--ever truly satisfied?  Tis possible I believe.

I submit to you that we become somebody, somebody who matters, when we meet Jesus, and walk closely with him . . . which makes me think yet again of Soren Kierkegaard and his thoughts – ‘I think that if ever I become an earnest Christian my deepest shame will be that I did not become one before, that I had to try everything else first.’   Indeed!  We become somebody through our relationship with our Creator.

And then, interestingly enough, Jesus tells us about ourselves.  Just take a look with me at the positive statements Jesus made about those who follow him, about true Christians—not religious people—but Christ-followers.  I grabbed my Bible and looked up the ‘You are’ statements Jesus made, and here is what I want you to know—YOU ARE SOMEBODY, because Jesus said so.

You are the salt of the earth.³

You are the light of the world.⁴

You are of more value than many sparrows.⁵

If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.⁶

Now with God’s help I shall at last become myself. (also Kierkegaard)

Paul explained why Jesus’ statements are true:

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.⁷

You are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.⁸

And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.⁹

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?¹⁰

And when we are wholly devoted, this is what Jesus said of us:

“By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”¹¹

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.¹²

You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.¹³

Oh, did you not learn so much about why indeed YOU ARE SOMEBODY?!    You are if you are a Christ-follower, endeavoring to follow in his footsteps as prescribed in Scriptures.  I do so love him!

And you … Well, you’re somebody if you are walking with Jesus, in the dust of the Rabbi.

1 – The movie “The Jerk”

2 – Matthew 25.23

3 – Matthew 5.13

4 – Matthew 5.

5 – Matthew 10.31

6 – John 8.31

7 – Galatians 3.26

8 - Ephesians 2.19

9 – 1 Corinthians 3.23

10-1 Corin 3.16

11-John 13.35

12-John 15.5

13-John 15.14