Didn’t Jesus want breakfast in bed every now and then? Oh wait, “The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Okay, then how about dinner? He was not averse to dinner parties, and at least twice allowed women to anoint his feet, be it with ointment or tears. So he was willing to be served…
Yet here he says, “…whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.”
Okay, I’m being overly literal. Of course, Jesus received service as well as gave it. But overall he was a net giver. (It’s hard to top giving your life...). And he wanted his followers to get it through their heads and hearts that their life’s work was to serve others, often without reward, possibly at the cost of their lives. He even washed their feet to teach them kinetically what perhaps they could not fully grasp from his words – that love must be embodied to be received. Afterward, he told them, “So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.”
Serving others, especially those who cannot repay, is at the heart of our faith. As followers of Christ, we are called to be net givers, even if some to whom we give are net takers. Yet serving and being served need to be in balance. If we are never willing to receive free service, we can find ourselves giving from a place of superiority rather than humility. As most people will tell you on Maundy Thursday, it’s a lot harder to accept someone else washing your feet than it is to wash another's.
What does a community look like in which everyone believes they have come not to be served but to serve? At its best, it looks like a community of mutual caring and love, in which people are always looking around to see who needs something. Then everyone is at some point the recipient of another’s care, and everyone is a giver of service.
We have to offer service without thought to whether or not someone will care for us – but if we are never on the receiving end, that can be a sign that we are operating too much in isolation. Do a little assessment today – are you a net giver or net receiver in your life right now? How might Jesus invite you to address any imbalance?
One way is to ask Him to lead us each day in the service we offer. The Son of Man is still in the business of serving, but now we are his hands, feet, ears. voice and love. We’ll find as we offer service with his Spirit in us, we are not drained, but somehow are served ourselves.
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