advantage

This morning I read 1 Corinthians 10:24 in my daily devotional time. It says: “Do not seek your own advantage, but that of the other.” I read it again. “Do not seek your own advantage, but that of the other.” I should know that, right? I mean, I’m a pastor-type person, aren’t I? And yet, honestly, it sounds strange to my ears. In our broken sinful world, isn’t the first thought that usually comes to our minds: “Seek my own advantage over that of the other.” Isn’t it usually the case that we think first of self rather than others? My how Jesus turns our thinking upside down; or at least it should be that way if we take him seriously. Just imagine how different the world would be if we really lived in accordance with “Do not seek your own advantage, but that of the other.” (I have to keep repeating it so I don’t forget.)