A Servant's Heart. . .
The world is filled with folks eager for fame and carrying a lust for power. From highly paid professional atheletes to educators with a desire to clone and place their godless influence into the lives of others. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. There are many religious leaders using God's name to feather their nests and offering prosperity and healing by buying products or sending in donations. It's truly a crazy world. Did Jesus ever say to the blind man "For a donation of a mere $1,000 I will heal your blindness!" Or to the poor lepers, "Make a donation and I will heal and prosper you!"
Sounds absurd, doesn't it?
That's because it is. Why, then, are we so blind to this?
Jesus had a servant's heart:
John 13:4 He rose up from supper and laid aside His garments. And He took a towel and girded Himself.
John 13:5 After that He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.
John 13:6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, Lord, do You wash my feet?
John 13:7 Jesus answered and said to him, You do not know what I do now, but you shall know hereafter.
John 13:8 Peter said to Him, You shall never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.
John 13:9 Simon Peter said to Him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and head.
I think Simon Peter got the point. It's not uncommon for a lot of folks to want glory and honor for themselves and their children:
Matthew 20:20 Then the mother of Zebedee's children came to Him with her sons, worshiping and desiring a certain thing from Him.
Mat 20:21 And He said to her, What do you desire? She said to Him, Grant that these my two sons may sit in Your kingdom, the one on Your right hand and the other on the left.
Mat 20:22 But Jesus answered and said, You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They said to Him, We are able.
Mat 20:23 And He said to them, You shall indeed drink of My cup and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but to those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.
Mat 20:24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant concerning the two brothers.
Mat 20:25 But Jesus called them and said, You know that the rulers of the nations exercise dominion over them, and they who are great exercise authority over them.
Mat 20:26 However, it shall not be so among you. But whoever desires to be great among you, let him be your servant.
Mat 20:27 And whoever desires to be chief among you, let him be your servant;
Mat 20:28 even as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
Jesus's way is not one of power and control; but of simple service to others. He set the example. Just before his crucifixtion, Jesus told this to his disciples:
Matthew 25:31 But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He shall sit on the throne of His glory.
Mat 25:32 And all nations shall be gathered before Him. And He shall separate them from one another, as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats.
Mat 25:33 And indeed He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats off the left.
Mat 25:34 Then the King shall say to those on His right hand, Come, blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Mat 25:35 For I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you took Me in;
Mat 25:36 I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.
Mat 25:37 Then the righteous shall answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry, and fed You? Or thirsty, and gave You drink?
Mat 25:38 When did we see You a stranger, and took You in? Or naked, and clothed You?
Mat 25:39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and came to You?
Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say to them, Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you have done it to Me.
Mat 25:41 Then He also shall say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.
Mat 25:42 For I was hungry, and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink;
Mat 25:43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in; I was naked, and you did not clothe Me; I was sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me.
Mat 25:44 Then they will also answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to You?
Mat 25:45 Then He shall answer them, saying, Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.
Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life.
Service and works DO NOT save a person. The service is the fruit of faith that stems and grows from following the example of Jesus.
The people who think that they are most important and deserving are in for a big disappointment on Judgment Day!
Lord, give us the heart of a servant to do what You would have us to for the benefit of others and to bring You glory!
