A New Beginning in Service
Traditional servants are recognised as lowly, and responsible for performing menial tasks for others. Yet, Jesus radically redefined common concepts such as love, reward and service. Last Sunday, we learnt about how Jesus commends service, and why as Christians we should persist to serve others.
The Last Supper was a historical event where Jesus ate with his disciples before being arrested by the Roman officials and crucified. During this time, Jesus demonstrated an act of service towards his disciples and closest friends. In John 13:1-17, Jesus washes his disciples feet and says:
“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one anothers’ feet” (verse 14)
Jesus is saying that we should serve one another just as He served his disciples. In Luke’s gospel, we similarly see Jesus teach that true greatness is found in the position of servanthood, not of lording authority over others as understood by the world.
“Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves.” - (Luke 22:26-27)
But why is it so difficult to willingly serve others, as Jesus did?
Selfishness - We choose to serve ourselves
In Mark’s gospel, James and John, sons of Zebedee and Jesus’ disciples, ask Jesus to grant their request, “let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory” (Mark 10:37). They had asked to be promoted to positions of high authority for their own gain.
When we live without recognising God and the importance of God’s kingdom, it can become very easy to believe that our realities revolve around ourselves - our desires, our preferences, our feelings. Jesus calls us to live differently. He calls us to love God and love one another (Matthew 22:36-40), not solely having love for ourselves. As Christians we need to remind ourselves that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, did not descend from heaven’s glory and come to earth to be served by others, but instead he came “to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).
Sinfulness - We choose not to serve
Having a servant’s heart does not come naturally to most people. Being willing and joyous to serve others is the fruit of a deep outworking of grace in our hearts. Even Judas, one of Jesus’ disciples, was tempted by the Satan or opposer, to betray Jesus for monetary gain.
“Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he would betray Jesus” - (Luke 22: 3-4)
The willingness to serve comes from being spiritually transformed by God. Only from a place of inward renewal (Romans 12:1-2) will we seek opportunities to serve (Galatians 6:9-10), cultivate a gratefulness (Psalm 100:2) and faithfulness (1 Corinthians 4:2) to serve, and most importantly provide service to others as a by-product of being fulfilled by God (2 Thessalonians 3:13).
Wouldn’t it be the sweetest sound to hear Jesus say at the end of our days,
“well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21)?
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for sending Jesus Christ to die for my sin. I pray that God would help me to cultivate a servant’s heart, and give me opportunities to serve others around me. I pray that my mind would be transformed to willingly serve others above myself, in order to glorify God.
Amen