A Life of Service

Matthew 20: 17-28

While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves and said to them on the way, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and on the third day he will be raised.”

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you, but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.”

In our lesson from Matthew for today, the mother of James and John, with her boys in tow, approaches Jesus and asks him – When the Kingdom comes can my sons sit on your right hand and on your left? This was purely a question that arose out of their own ambition, or at least their mother’s ambition for them. They had been with Jesus from the beginning, and they wanted to know if there would be a payoff for their loyalty and service, if they would be rewarded with a top cabinet post in the new Jesus Administration.

Jesus realized that these three didn’t understand the nature of God’s Kingdom. But, rather than scold them, Jesus told them – Be careful what you ask for. You want to be my number one and number two, then you better be prepared to suffer, to serve, to give your lives for others. Turning to the other disciples, Jesus goes on to say – You just don’t get it, do you? I am all about servanthood. I came to serve not be served, and so if it’s greatness you’re looking for you better start grasping for the bottom-most rung of the ladder. For, “Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be servant of all.”

Albert Schweitzer once said, “I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found a way to serve.”

Do you want to know the way to life, life abundant? Do you want to know what makes for a life fulfilled? I can tell you quite simply that the way to the fulfilled life is service. Service to others, being a servant leader, placing the needs of others as at least equal to your own – living for the wellbeing of those around you – that is the Christian path to life abundant. That is the example of Jesus’ life. It is just that simple and just that difficult. Servant leadership lies at the heart of the Christian faith. In fact, there is no Christian faith without it. Everything about our faith is wrapped up in the truth that if you want to love God then you must love your neighbor.

Blessings,
Randy

prayer

Lord God, you call us to life in all its fullness, following the path set out by Jesus your Son. As we reflect on his leadership as Servant, we ask you to deepen our desire to imitate his example. May our exercise of the gifts you have given us be a faithful reflection of his presence at work in our lives. We make this prayer to you through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
(resource-ni.com)