Servanthood

Servanthood

Read: Luke 22:24-30

“The greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.”

Luke 22:26

“There are no trivial assignments in the work of the Lord.”

—Vance Havner

IN WORD Would there be any division in the body of Christ if this verse were taken seriously? To our disappointment, our churches and ministries often resemble worldly institutions with their power structures, self-interest, and man-made methods. But the body of Christ is to be radically different. It is to be the one body on earth that subverts the fallen order. It is to be characterized by servanthood and humility.

Jesus modeled this for us. “I am among you as one who serves,” He says (v. 27). And He demonstrated His servanthood in a number of ways: ministering to outcasts, washing the disciples’ feet, and most significantly, dying for our sins.

Yet despite the divine example, we often act in ways contrary to the Master. We are more like the disciples who argued about who was the greatest. Our arguments may not take that form—“Whose ministry is bearing more fruit?” and “Who is elevated to the most prominent leadership positions?” are questions we’re more likely to ask—but they amount to the same spirit of contention. They reflect an unwillingness to be like Jesus, no matter how much we might call Him “Lord.”

IN DEED Does your church have too many people making themselves available for the most menial tasks? Does it have to turn away volunteers for the most thankless burdens of leadership? How often do we blow wind in the sails of other believers, giving them encouragement for the work they do? Not nearly enough to distinguish us from purely human institutions.

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus,” Paul says (Philippians 2:5), before describing the humility of Christ. Christians who are characterized by that attitude glorify Him and demonstrate that they are not of this world.