Walk
316. Servanthood
Matthew
20:27 (KJV) says, “And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your
servant.” The NIV uses the word
“slave”.
What an interesting principle; to be first you must be a
servant to others. This concept is
totally contrary to what the world system teaches.
Matthew 20:25-28 says, “But Jesus called them to Himself
and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and
those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among
you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among
you, let him be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served,
but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.’”
Try to imagine what would happen if believers took this
teaching seriously. Everyone would
be viewing each other with the same attitude that Jesus had and has. We are called and commanded to have the
same attitude. Actually, this
attitude is one of the attributes of love, and if we are not operating in this
attitude, we are not operating in love!
Philippians 2:1-16 says, “Therefore if there is any
consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit,
if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the
same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through
selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others
better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests,
but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in
Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be
equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a
bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance
as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even
the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him
the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should
bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of
God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my
presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation
with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do
for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that
you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the
midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in
the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of
Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.”
This would be a wonderful time just to pray, and ask God to
show you areas of your life that do not line up with this servanthood
standard. Remember 1 John 1:9 says,
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Take
a look for a moment at Jesus in John 13.
Here is
the very creator God, the One Who spoke everything into being, the spotless,
sinless Man girding himself as a servant and washing feet. Washing feet in those days was
equivalent to cleaning latrines today.
People had all of the dirt, dung and waste from the streets and open
sewers on their feet.
John 13:1-17
says, “Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had
come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own
who were in the world, He loved them to the end. And supper being ended, the
devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to
betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands,
and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid
aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 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. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said
to Him, ‘Lord, are You washing my feet?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘What
I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.’ Peter said
to Him, ‘You shall never wash my feet!’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash
you, you have no part with Me.’ Simon Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, not my feet
only, but also my hands and my head!’ Jesus said to him, ‘He who is bathed
needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but
not all of you.’ For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, ‘You are
not all clean.’ So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat
down again, He said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you
say well, for so I am. If I then,
your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one
another’s feet. For I have given
you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant
is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent
him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.’”
According to verse 17 (“If you know these things, blessed
are you if you do them.”) what is the result of a servant attitude and
action? Are you willing to serve
others even if it is not your appointed job?
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