Jesus serves
Luke 22:27 (The Voice)
Who is greater right here as we eat this meal—those of us who sit at the table, or those who serve us? Doesn’t everyone normally assume those who are served are greater than those who serve? But consider My role among you. I have been with you as a servant.
We assume we’ve made it in life if we can sit back and be served. If we can relax while others work hard for us, we must have attained greatness. If we have the luxury car, the Jacuzzi tub, and the walk-in closet, we have achieved distinction. If we have wealth enough not to have to worry any more about life’s basic needs, we are of the highest caliber. If people look up to us and our reputation is above reproach, we can feel our life is of utmost significance. If our church is growing by leaps and bounds, we must be doing what God wants. This is success, right? I’m not so sure.
In the above passage, Jesus says the greatest is the one serving. The one serving, not the one served. And that’s how Jesus lived: washing the feet of another, offering water to an outcast, touching someone who was unclean. And it’s what Jesus’ words emphasized again and again: whoever wants to be first must be last, whoever wants to be great must be the servant, the meek and gentle will inherit the earth. According to God’s kingdom, the best role to play is the servant role. The most fulfilling life is a life of giving, not getting.
Let’s learn from Jesus on this Palm Sunday, the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey instead of a war horse. Let’s learn to show kindness even when kindness is not shown in return. Let’s take the back seat instead of the driver’s seat, and be okay with it. Let’s take the supportive role, and help the other to shine. Let’s help someone to breathe easier today. It’s a hard lesson to learn. It’s hard to get myself out of the way. It’s hard to pull up the weeds of self-centeredness, pride, and indulgence, and replace them with growth in other-centeredness, humility, and generosity. And though I may not ever get myself completely out of the way, this is the goal I want my life to be about.
As George MacDonald put so well, “To have ourself, to know ourself, to enjoy ourself, we call life. But in reality, if we would forget ourselves, tenfold would be our life in God and in our neighbors. Life is not in knowing that we are alive, but in loving all forms of life.”
Leave a Reply