Does anybody see me? Does it matter what I do? Does any of it make a difference?
I really want the good things I do to be noticed. I want people to appreciate the ways I follow Jesus. I want to feel validated when I hold fast to Him through hard seasons. But Jesus warns that this craving can quietly hijack obedience.
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1 ESV)
And here I am again, faced with that gentle warning through the story of King Jotham. His story is brief. His reign is quiet. And yet the Holy Spirit notices him and regards him as “mighty.”
“So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God.” (2 Chronicles 27:6 ESV)
Mighty? That isn’t the way I’d describe Jotham based on his story. There are no epic battles, no big victories, no heroic conquests. Jotham’s story isn’t impressive; it’s ordinary. Ordered. Steady. Quiet.
Jotham did what was right, and from that he became mighty! You’d think this would cause flourishing among the people he reigned over. But instead, the story surrounding Jotham is more about how his people drifted.
“You can do what is right in the eyes of the Lord, but that doesn’t guarantee the people in your orbit will follow.” (Kings of Judah guidebook, pg. 120)
I’m constantly tempted to answer, “Is my effort worth it?” by what I can see. Are my kids growing? Is my marriage improving? But Jotham’s story refuses to measure “might” the way the world does by success, comfort, or validation. Instead, God’s definition of strength is humility, steadfastness, and quiet resilience built over time.
We need God’s definition of strength because, unfortunately, obedience to Jesus doesn’t promise success or ease. Sometimes you can do what’s right in the Lord’s eyes, and life is still messy, and feelings still get hurt. Sometimes obedience even invites trials, because the world is broken, many reject Christ, and that rejection often reaches those who follow Him.
In Ross Lester’s sermon on Solomon, he said, “Obedience is a lifelong endeavor of humility.” It takes humility to admit God’s way is better than mine. It takes humility to pray and admit, “I can’t do this… I need You, God.”
Solomon’s story is grand—he starts dependent but ends drifting into self-reliance. Jotham’s story is quiet, and it stays that way: steady, humble obedience, a life ordered before the Lord.
Jotham’s strength wasn’t built in a moment. It was built over time, through a life humbly and quietly ordered before the Lord. Through this humility, Jotham became mighty.
Perhaps the deepest gift of the gospel for people who want to be noticed is this: in Christ, you already are. The Father who sees in secret has seen you fully, and He doesn’t turn away. He draws near.
Jotham’s story calls us to quiet faithful obedience. It is a glimpse of Jesus’s life and ministry. Our true King spent most of His life in obscurity—working, waiting, obeying—long before anyone noticed. And then He went even lower, humbling Himself to the point of death.
Through humbling Himself, Christ offers us salvation.
This is the good news for those of you who, like me, are desperate to be noticed: God cares for you so much that He sent His Son to die in your place. You are free to be small, steady, and faithful because our mighty King, who conquered hell and defeated death, accomplished these mighty works through a life of humility and service. You are known. You are loved.
Want to dive deeper? Check out our sermon series guide on Kings of Judah, or watch the most recent sermon from our Kings of Judah sermon series.
