Being a Servant

As I have been studying the Bible, a common theme that has been coming up is this theme of being a servant. Jesus not only emphasized the need for all of us to be servants, but he also demonstrated what it looked like to be a servant. At the Last Supper, Jesus was with his disciples, Jesus got down on his hands and knees, and he washed his disciples’ feet. The disciples were confused why the Son of God had just gotten down to wash all of their feet, even the feet of Judas, who Jesus knew would betray him. Jesus's response to the disciples was amazing. In John 13:14, Jesus says, "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash another's feet." Now back then, to wash someone's feet was normally the job of the house servant. But when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, he was showing how each and every one of us needs to humble ourselves and we need to be servants for each other, not matter if they are our friend, enemy, or a complete stranger.  Normally the connotation around the word servant is one that is very negative, because if you are a servant, then you are of lesser status, and some times that servants weren't treated very well The actual word "servant" comes from the French word "servir" which means to serve. It doesn't talk about how if you are a servant then you are below every one else, but it just talks about serving. There are many ways that you are able to serve your community. It may not be washing someone's feet necessarily, because we don't do that anymore, but it may be as simple as helping out a classmate when they are struggling in school, or giving food to someone who may not have food, or volunteering your time, to help assist someone else. To serve someone is to think of someone else before yourself, and to act on that thought. 

But Jesus doesn't stop there. He continues in John 13:16 to say, "Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him." I find it fascinating how Jesus in this one sentence relates the topic of being a servant, to being a messenger.  Being a servant is what we are called to do, but as we are serving people we need to be carrying with us the message of God. By serving people we are outwardly demonstrating the love that God has for us. When we serve people God opens doors for us to share the message of God with the people we serve. We just have to be ready to be that messenger for when God opens the doors for us. I love how also in this verse that God talks about how as a servant and as a messenger, we aren’t greater than then our master, or the one who sent the message. We don’t decide which doors to open, and who will accept Jesus or not. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. We are here to glorify God, and to serve others, and to be ready to share the message with whoever God tells us too.  That is our job, and we are to trust Jesus through all of it, because amazing things can come out of being a servant and a messenger, for you are for the other people who you are serving. 

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for setting an example for how we are to live our lives. I pray that I will become your servant, and that you will open the doors to whom I share your message with. Thank you Lord for always being with us through the Holy Spirit. Amen.