SAINT ANDRÉ BESSETTE, RELIGIOUS (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes?

What do Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, and Napoleon have in common? They dedicated their lives to becoming “victor over the world” (1 John 5:5). For each one, it took ruthless ambition, military power, and in some cases dumb luck. And to a large degree, it worked. We remember them today because they truly did become world conquerors.

But this isn’t the kind of conquest John had in mind when he wrote that the “victor over the world” is the one who “believes” in Jesus (1 John 5:5). In fact, he meant something quite the opposite:

Where the conquerors named above waged war to secure their victories, believers in Jesus overcome by being “peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9).

Where the conquerors prized power and brute force, believers in Jesus “inherit the land” by their meekness (Matthew 5:5).

Where the conquerors triumphed through manipulation, those who believe win by becoming “the last of all and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35).

One more contrast—and probably the most important one: conquerors’ victories are always short-lived. They retain power only until someone bigger or smarter comes along. That’s because they try to overcome the world by following the world’s own rules. And you can’t beat the world at its own game!

But Jesus promises that if we follow his rules—his law of love, the way of his cross—we will see “eternal life” (John 12:25). No worldly power will ever dethrone us. We will “reign in life” forever (Romans 5:17).

Do you want to know victory over the world? Then believe in Jesus, and not just with your intellect. Bow down to him. Listen for his voice and follow his call to service, even if it seems to go against the “common” wisdom of the world. Believe his promise that “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14).

“Jesus, let me taste your victory as I lay down my life for your people!”

1 John 5:5-13
Psalm 147:12-15, 19-20
Mark 1:7-11