Nobel Laureates
The Nobel Prizes for 2025 have been announced and the laureates are as follows:
- Physics: John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis
- Chemistry: Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi
- Medicine: Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi
- Literature: Laszlo Krasznahorkai
- Peace: Maria Corina Machado
- Economic Sciences: Joel Mokyr, Phillipe Aghion, and Peter Howitt
Analysis and eternal perspective: The Nobel Prizes have been awarded each year since 1901 and, while not without controversy, remain one of the most prestigious and widely recognized awards one can be granted. As with any subjective award, the announcement of the honorees (most commonly referred to as Nobel Prize laureates) generates a mix of acclaim and critique.
Perhaps most newsworthy among this year’s honorees is Ms. Maria Corina Machado, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.” Ms. Machado has been in hiding since the Venezuelan government disqualified her from running against President Nicolas Maduro in last year’s presidential election.
As a Jesus follower, your interaction with this story will look different from those around you, as your life’s aim is not about any recognition from men. To be clear, it is entirely possible your life’s contributions will produce acclaim—perhaps even a Nobel Prize! There would of course be nothing wrong with that circumstance (it could even very well be cause for great rejoicing), but your aim in life has nothing to do earthly recognition.
Your life’s mission is aimed solely at bringing glory to God (Gal. 1:10, Col. 3:23-24). Very often, that will involve service that is rendered behind the scenes and away from the limelight. This type of service will most often not result in public acclaim like a Nobel prize, but it will invoke a much more valuable recognition: “[Y]our Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matt. 6:4).
“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10).
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Col. 3:23-24).
The following article originally appeared in Thann’s “The Equipped” Weekly Newsletter. For more information on Thann’s weekly email, click here.