Serving Others

It's difficult to serve as Jesus did. It's even harder to imagine why Jesus did it! But he did. Today's message was a look at Matthew 20:20-28, especially verses 26-27, "whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must become your slave." (NLT)

James & John's Mom asked Jesus if her sons could sit on thrones next to Jesus. His reply surprised all of them. "You don't know what you are asking." And they didn't. They didn't have a clue what would be required for such a position, for even Jesus to achieve this throne he would have to sacrifice his own life. His disciples didn't understand that, nor what it would take just to follow Jesus.

Jesus' point to his disciples was that they must become like servants. What does it take to become a servant? Throughout history humans have been involved in creating different levels of society: upper and lower classes, hierarchies of race, socioeconomics, education, vocation, etc. All of us working to step up higher in order to get ahead, help our families, to feel better about our selves. But when we do this, we are falling into the trap we have created and perpetuated. Then we look down on others.

Jesus never did.

His solution was to lower himself not simply to the level of humanity and the place he deserved as a prophet, king, Messiah, but to the place of servant, a step or two lower than the average lower class family. He put himself in the lowest place he could in order to fulfill his role and to show us ours.

We may not want to sit on thrones next to Jesus. That's not our place. But to become the people God desires, it is our place to kneel down before our friends, our neighbors, our family, our enemies and serve them. And when we do, we are fulfilling the Gospel Jesus taught and lived. A Gospel of belief, of trust, of action; for us and for those who don't even know it yet.

That's our mission, on our knees.

Peace ><>
PC