Serve Others

 

Scripture: Matthew 20:25-28 (NIV)

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Devotion:

How counter-cultural these words of Jesus must have seemed to the first disciples. They lived in a time when there was no thought of equality among persons. Even today, in our culture, we still have vestiges of the notion that some people are better than others. Think of what it would mean if the President of the United States were to think of themselves as a servant of all the people. In my opinion, we have had very few presidents who have thought of themselves in this way.

We see throughout the gospels, Jesus serving others. From the making of wine at the wedding in Cana to the cross of Calvary, Jesus came to show us the way of a servant, not the way of a king, and certainly not like any person who claimed to be God before Jesus, nor like any since. Jesus is unique in this way. Jesus knew His mission was to save the world, not condemn it. Nor was He to be a ruler in the normal sense of that word. He was a true servant.

So, in light of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, how must we live? It is hard for us humans to live as servants of others. We may try and succeed if we try to love those who love us and are appreciative of what we do for them. When it comes to those we don’t like, or we perceive to be ungrateful, that is another matter. Yet Jesus calls us to love our enemies, and I believe to be their servants as best we can. That isn’t a license for them to abuse us, but we must at least try.

In proclaiming His servanthood, Jesus was showing us the way to live in society. We must be humble and meek in order to be true kingdom people. When we see a job that needs to be done, and we can do it, we must do it. There is no task too small or menial for us as servants of others and ultimately servants of God. Let us pray for the will and the courage to live as servants.

Prayer:

Lord, we give you praise for what you did in coming among us in Jesus. We thank you for His life of service to all humankind by His death on the cross. Strengthen us to live in self-sacrificial ways as we seek to imitate Jesus. May the watching world see the lives of service we live and be curious to know and understand why we live this way. In Jesus name, Amen.