Key Text: Matthew 20: 20 – 28
Additional Texts: Luke 12: 37; Luke 13: 31 – 33; Luke 14: 25 – 33; Matthew 21: 1 – 12; Mark 6: 1-6
Like many of you perhaps, I am anticipating this year’s Easter movies: ‘King of Kings’ and ‘The Last Supper’. I love interesting films, including movies and plays with a Biblical setting, as they may enhance my understanding of the Word. When I was a young child, most Holy Week programming included several productions with links to the crucifixion or other Bible stories which depict Jesus’ earthly life. If you watched ‘The Passion of the Christ’, like me, you may have considered it to be the most graphic and profound depiction of the crucifixion. Will this year’s movies supersede it?
You may likewise feel a sense of gratitude for God’s sacrifice for us through His Son Jesus when you watch these films and that is great, but let’s not only consider Jesus’ teaching of God’s love to us through the crucifixion, but also His teaching on the journey to the cross. This does not reduce the significance of the cross, but in this series, hopefully it will help us to value it more as we realise that the sacrifice Jesus made did not begin at the cross – it began with His humble descent to earth, interacting with mankind in a manner that would reveal more of how we might glorify God in our daily lives. Like the ultimate teacher, every step He took, every interaction with His disciples and the many people they encountered in His earthly ministry was a teaching opportunity – a presentation of God’s character, love, expectations, wisdom and advice for how we should serve Him. The disciples and the community at large focused on the crucifixion as it approached, but Jesus knew as He walked amongst them that every step took Him closer to that ultimate manifestation of who He is, and held the prospect of them learning more about God’s character to help them to live for Him. As He stepped closer to the cross in those three years of ministry, He did not lose focus on this ultimate plan, and kept stepping, teaching them one lesson at a time that would help them before and after He ascended to the Father. Jesus’ attitude teaches us to keep stepping too, serving God as we go. One such lesson we learn from Jesus is His attitude to service.
We live in a world where it is commonplace to thrive on the opinions and approval of others, especially through social media. People are often perceived as great due to their influence, popularity, possessions and their ability to flaunt these on social media. Others are perceived to have influence due to their connections, and it is not uncommon for links to be formed for the mere sake of building an image of success. Greatness is stereotypically ascribed to those who are seemingly powerful, having the authority to command respect, honour and excellent service. Indeed, when I was in school and amongst younger children and later adolescents, we were quick to remind others that we were not their servants when they cheekily asked us to get something for them, especially without a polite ‘Please’ or ‘Thank You!’. It was a joke to us then, but that was because we had subliminally learned that the position of servant was not one to aspire to.
This perception of servanthood is not only familiar to us; it was also seemingly predominant when Jesus walked the earth. In the key text, when James’ and John’s mother knelt at His feet to request that her sons have positions of honour in His kingdom, she reflected a typical attitude in parents to want their children to be successful. She lacked the revelation of who Jesus is and the cost of His position of honour. To her, the greatest positions to serve in were those which were most prominent.
Jesus used the opportunity to teach her and the disciples that true greatness comes from having a servant’s heart – a willingness to use our gifts to glorify God even when they are not visible. He taught that God sees great leaders as those who serve with humility from low positions, as He did. Jesus reminded them to imitate Him, the Son of Man, who came to serve by sacrificing His life to save them and anyone who believes in Him – He came to serve – not to be served. He came to do dirty work – not to be waited on. He came in humility – not with fanfare.
Jesus’ service on earth was filled with resistance from the religious leaders of the day who desperately wanted to trap Him, and discredit and hinder His ministry, but He persisted in servanthood. Like we saw in the entry a few weeks ago, flint-faced Jesus was unstoppable. When the Pharisees tried to intimidate Him and prevent Him from going to Jerusalem by telling Him that Herod Antipas wanted to kill Him, He vehemently declared that they go back to ‘…tell that fox’ that He would not stop ministering! Ouch! That must have irritated them and incited even more hate! Though He is seated at God’s right hand as declared in the Word, the journey to the cross before the resurrection was filled with moments that could have caused a mere man to falter and forget servanthood. Thankfully, Jesus, who is God’s Son (like Him), obeyed His Father and persisted in His purpose.
Not only did He face opposition in the steps to the cross but He understood the rejection that service to God often includes. He cautioned the crowds to consider the costs of following Him in Luke 14, telling them that serving Him would include bearing personal trials (metaphorical crosses). He encouraged service but did not paint a flowery picture of its anatomy. Reinforcing His message of humble service for the Kingdom, Jesus also taught His followers to seek to minister without focusing on numbers or rewards – we are called to serve those who are vulnerable as much as we are called to serve those with influence, and should not esteem those in power as more deserving of our service.
Regardless of what we do in the Kingdom, in this lesson from Jesus as He journeyed to the cross, the highlight is that we remember that ultimately, glory from our gifts and the ways in which we are called to serve belongs to God. There are countless ways to minister for God, but one main goal – to glorify God (not self). Whether you are a single parent, retired grandparent who supports your family, pastor of a congregation of 10000 or 100, a talented singer or musician, a cleaner of the pews, a participant in hospitality, a visitor to those in prison or hospices or an expert in your job or career, the greatest is indeed the one who serves in the lowliest position – serving others.
Indeed, Jesus gave some insight into God’s great joy in finding us serving Him (directly through a relationship with Him and in our various responsibilities), and His willingness to reward us for humble service (Luke 14: 14). He did also say that whatever we do for others is indeed done for Him (Matthew 25: 25 – 46). As Jesus had to endure the cross, we will likewise face challenges; like Him, if we endure, we will reap the harvests of our service in this life and eternity. Sometimes having a servant’s heart means we face ingratitude. Serve anyway. Sometimes service includes promotions and due to a lack of revelation, those who met us on one level, find it hard to appreciate that God has multiple dimensions in which He might choose to use us. Jesus is God’s Son yet He was not received by His own; all they could see was that it was a carpenter’s Son – not that He could also be a carpenter and The Teacher! If you face similar circumstances, serve anyway, or like Jesus, keep stepping and go to other places where there is more need for your gift. Serve anyway.
It is possible to want to serve God and feel discouraged by this apathy and other varied reasons. I pray that you will continue to serve Him and others, and if you are not already doing so, take one step closer to doing so today. Whether you manage a few seconds, a minute or five today, talk to God about your thoughts and experiences about service/servanthood today. Maybe you have been less than faithful to your area of service, are disappointed at poor service from others, or you are utterly overwhelmed by overcommitting to your area(s) of service – He hears.
Heartfelt Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for sending Your Son with such a humble servant’s heart to save me. Thank You for giving us a model of how we might humbly please You through service in secular and religious settings. Please help me to persist as Jesus did when service is challenging, and to serve others with equity, not treating any as more deserving than the other. I pray that You will help me to fully discover how I might serve You and others. I ask these mercies in Your Son Jesus’ name. Amen.
