Not to be served but to serve

Not to be served but to serve

Scripture:

Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 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.”

Matthew 20:17-27

Observation:

Darkness hovers over the mood in the camp as Jesus and His disciples prepare to go up to Jerusalem. The Lord knows that His death awaits Him there, and He reminds His disciples yet again of His impending crucifixion and resurrection. The disciples still can’t really comprehend all this, and in what seems a particularly ill-timed supplication, James and John come with their mother to request Jesus to let them sit on His right and his left of His throne in His kingdom. The Lord was about to go through an incredibly painful death and here they were, thinking about their own selfish ambitions.

The Lord looks at them incredulously, saying “You don’t know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” Here, Jesus was referring particularly to the cup of suffering, the cup of death that awaited Him. Confidently, James and John apply in the affirmative. The Lord then explains to them that they will indeed drink from the same cup of suffering. Nevertheless, the choice of who would be given these places belonged to God the Father.

Later, when the 10 heard about what James and John had done, they were incensed with them. Out of jealousy and pride, each one of them also desired to be honored above the others, a typically human reaction. However, the Lord took the opportunity to call them together and teach them a very important truth. While the world’s way is for those in power and authority to be arrogant and proud and lord themselves over those beneath them, the way of Jesus is totally the opposite. The one who is great is the one who serves best, who is willing to humble himself like a servant, and work selflessly for the benefit of others. The Lord Himself showed His disciples the way of the servant by His way of life, culminating in the washing of His disciples’ feet. Indeed, He came not to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many.

Application:

Let us meditate on the Lord’s call for us to have a servant mindset. How would having such a mindset affect the way we treat our colleagues, our subordinates, our family members and friends? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the pride of our hearts, the desire to be superior to others, to lord it over them. Ask the Lord to give us a new heart, focused on serving Him, focused on serving others. A true leader has a servant’s heart. This does not mean he goes around having to wipe everyone’s shoes or making coffee for all his followers, which is servanthood only on a superficial level. Rather, it is an inbuilt desire of the servant leader to want the very best for those he leads. A very good example of a servant leader in practice is Abraham’s servant Eliezer, who is a type of Holy Spirit seen in the Old Testament. He was the greatest of Abraham’s servants, so much so that in the absence of an heir, Abraham would have chosen him to inherit all his wealth. Nevertheless, in Eliezer’s mindset, he was never jealous of Isaac, but sought the very best for his master, even praying earnestly to God to show him the right woman whom he should approach to be Isaac’s wife.

In Potiphar’s household, Joseph also showed this excellent servant’s mindset, taking care of all Potiphar’s affairs to his best ability, and maintaining his righteousness by refusing to commit adultery with his master’s wife. Even in prison, Joseph still continued serving his fellow prisoners diligently, and later when raised to Prime Minister of Egypt, he continued to serve Pharaoh and the people, bringing much prosperity to Egypt while ensuring the people also were dealt with fairly and taken care of during the famine. It was never about personal gain but about what was best for the people he served.

Prayer:

We praise thee O Lord, for the great example You showed us even as You walked the earth, coming not to be served, but to serve and give your life as an example for many. Create in us that servant’s heart O Lord, that thinks not about our own personal gain, but seeks to serve others to the best of our ability. Help us, Lord to seek greatness not in power or fame or riches but rather in humble servanthood which is of great value in Your eyes. May Your name be praised forever. In Jesus name, Amen.