Matthew 20:26-28
“It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
When I think of someone in my life who has revealed to me the image of a servant, I automatically think of my mom. For as long as I have been alive, she has been a woman of humility and great grace. In the morning, she would run on the treadmill with a list of names in front of her, praying for their specific needs. Other days, she would take me to my grandmas house, and I would paint my grandma’s nails while my mom cleaned her house. Recently, I remember having a conversation with my mom about servanthood. We were at our church’s women's conference, and my mom signed up to clean the bathrooms, yet again. It always baffled me. Why did my mom always, always sign up to clean toilets, at the expense of listening to the wonderful bible studies? That’s a rookie’s job anyways, shouldn’t one of the younger leaders be doing it? But my mom, in all of her wisdom, reminded me that there is no job too low for her to do; she is not above anything. Often times she would recruit other ladies to help her, by telling them how fun it would be, letting out a sweet little, “Woohoo!” at the end. I felt so convicted. Who am I to stoop down low, get some dirt on my knees, and wipe down some toilets? I am nothing! I am not above anyone, and I am certainly not too good to do “the least of these” kind of jobs. Have I forgotten, once again, who my Savior is? Have I forgotten how he lived his life? Jesus came to this earth, knowing full well that he would sacrifice his life, for the sake of the world. He knew that the people he was saving and healing, would just as quickly turn their backs on him, and yell, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him!” And he of course knew, that his very own disciples, the ones whom his soul so deeply loved, would flee from his presence, and even deny him. Yes, he came to earth knowing exactly how his story would play out, but he loved, and he loved, and he loved, even still. How much more should I love the people God places in my life? In Guatemala, it is so much easier to have compassion on the poor and needy, but in America, I walk by homeless people in front of the grocery store, begging for money, and I don’t even give them a second thought. How sad! Why do I do this? Why do I pick and choose who I love, and who I serve? Because I walk through this life in submission to my flesh, with my will guiding my every step. I don't live this spirit filled life, Jesus asks us to live. I don’t want to give up my comfort, for the sake of serving someone else. But I have to fight this mentality that so often rules my life. May the life of Jesus and his ministry on earth, give me the motivation to live and serve beyond myself, relying on the strength of Jesus to guide my every step.
Application: As I noted above, I really do not enjoy cleaning, especially cleaning bathrooms. This Saturday, I will clean our entire bathroom until it is sparkling clean, with a smile on my face and joy in my heart.
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