So could you ever imagine Jesus having a conversation like this, "Yes Peter, I healed a leper today and fed 5,000 people and I settled some disputes between you and the other disciples. Oh, and tomorrow, I am going to raise someone from the dead. Pretty impressive, isn't Peter?"
Of course you can't imagine it because this is not who Jesus is. Jesus is not like us, trying to impress those around us with all the holy things we have done or want to do. Jesus is not like us, when we forget to be grateful to God who allows us to serve others and who gives us the gifts to be able to serve others.
Jesus the Humble Servant
Jesus is a humble servant who teaches us to serve the Lord with humility. The God of the universe sent His Son to be a servant. Let that sink in for a moment. Indeed, Jesus is glorified in Heaven, but when He was here He was the image of what humility really is. Do we really have to list our "accomplishments" to others to receive their accolades? What is really important - the approval of others or the approval of God?
Serving the Lord With Humility
C.S. Lewis once said,
"Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less."
We often confuse true humility with putting ourselves down. We don't have to talk or think badly of ourselves to be humble; we just need to quit worrying about what others will think of us. We are to be humble servants just as Christ was.
Serving or Helping?
In Mark 10:45 we read that Jesus came as a servant. Do we serve others or do we help others? There is a difference. Jesus doesn't say he came to help, He says He came to serve. Helping is something we do for people who we perceive as more needy than ourselves. Helping someone puts us in a position above another person. We are doing something for them they can't do for themselves.
Serving on the other hand is something between equals. I serve you because I love you. I serve you because you are worthy of love. I serve and feel grateful to be able to do so. When I serve you, you owe me nothing.
God Will Exalt Us
We are to serve out of humility just as Jesus did. According to Philippians 2:8 Christ so humbled Himself that He died on a cross for us. When we feel the overwhelming desire to list our accomplishments to others, to let them know how successful we are, how important we are, think about this verse from I Peter 5:6,
"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,"
Notice Peter says that God will exalt us. We certainly don't need the praises of men if God Himself is going to exalt us.
In a society that thrives on people listing and touting their accomplishments it is sometimes hard not to seek the approval of others. But then, we are asked to do the hard things.
We Need God
I Peter 5 continues on in verse 7 to say that we should cast our cares on Jesus because He cares for us. In our pride we often fail to give our problems to God because we feel like we can fix things ourselves. We don't like admitting to God that we need Him. Truly, if we humble ourselves "under the mighty hand of God" then we would have less care and worries that we would need to give Him.
Whose Favor Do I Seek?
Galatians 1:10 perfectly sums up these thoughts,
"For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still pleasing men, I should not be a servant of Christ."
So if I seek the approval of those around me, I cannot be a true servant of Christ. Sobering thoughts!
THE SERVANT’S PRAYER
Your children come to you, loving God, confident of your goodness and mercy. Your Son humbled himself to come among us first as a child and then as the Lamb of God. May the sacrifice of his life and his service among us teach us to live as servants to all. As stewards of your generous gifts, may we bear witness to your goodness in our lives by the good we do as servants of all your children. Blessed are you, God of all goodness! May our service give you glory as we pray now and always through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Enjoy the Servant's Song
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