A Christian Servant

16Jul
…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 in ransom for many.
-Matthew 20:26-28



It is an oft-told tale, but bears repetition. In this Scripture passage, Matthew portrays Jesus on the road to Jerusalem presenting/instructing the disciples (us) with a real-time parable. Having just finished describing what trials await Him in Jerusalem, Jesus is interrupted by two disciples’ mother seeking seats of favor for her sons next to Jesus. Attempting unsuccessfully to dissuade the two disciples, Jesus rejects her request due to her and their failure to understand the consequences of this favor. The parable does not end there, however, for this petition has only angered the other ten disciples. Jesus (can’t you hear Him sighing?) reminds them that ranking people is an order imposed by tyrannical rulers, not by the Son of Man (and his true followers). In Jesus’ world, the person wishing to be great, to be first, must be a servant, a slave to others, as the Son of Man will be in giving his life on the cross for us sinners. In the true Christian life, there will be no hierarchy, no rank order, but only servanthood.


In this parable about true Christians, Jesus has once again set us a test – one almost impossible for us to satisfy. I routinely rank people – surely unconsciously sometimes – from the most mundane to the most immediate: artists and authors, TV reporters and interviewers, friends and relations, sisters and brothers, grandparents and in-laws, children and grandchildren. And as in the parable, with every ranking comes judgment (as by the disciples’ mother), disdain for others (the 2 disciples), envy and jealousy (the other 10). I ignore Jesus’ instruction given with the parables: see, listen, and learn. I focus simply on the rectitude and rationale of my rankings. So I miss – overlook – the trappings of my real-life Christian peers: the tents and the worn signs, cardboard blankets, the sadness of the silent child, the jumbled and mumbled Biblical phrases of the passing stranger. I don’t see or hear – I just keep walking. There’s no way these people are first.  


So what might I do – what nice practical tasks – to be or feel more like a Christian servant? I can carry energy bars and pockets of coins, spend time volunteering with a social agency. I can smile and listen very carefully to children, in-laws, brothers and sisters without interrupting or focusing on what I am going to say next. Really listening to children and responding to their opinions, wishes, beliefs, and plans seem deceptively easy to follow, but may be a good place to begin a pathway to servanthood. After all, in God’s eyes are we not all “little ones?” Above all, I try to remember St. Paul’s counsel: pray without ceasing. God does not promise me that I will ever be first or even great, but He does expect me to pray for those in need, including me. And when I feel most hopeless about my judgmental life, He reminds me that Jesus gave his life “in ransom” for all of us hopeless, but ever hopeful, sinners. As He forgives, however, He expects us to remember that our part in His covenant consists of walking continually the path of redemption which includes servanthood.


Musical Reflection - I Want to Walk as a Child of the LIght - Unioniares



Answer me quickly, O Lord, my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me, as I shall be like those who go down to the Pit. Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning, for in you I put my trust. Teach me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Amen.

-Psalm 143:7-8

Sacrifice

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