“ . . . just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” -Matthew 20:28
Imagine the richest CEO of the largest company in the world coming to your house and personally serving you and your family. How would you react? What would surprise you about that? Many positions are regarded with so much prestige and importance that we cannot imagine them busying themselves with menial tasks they could easily pay someone to do. This dynamic is what makes this passage so amazing. The God of the universe, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, not only came to earth as a man, but instead of coming to earth in a place of prominence, he came in humility. He didn’t use His position only to work with important people; He came as a servant. He didn’t come to receive recognition but to serve and show the way to life with God. He even went as far as to lay down His life, to be publicly humiliated and killed, so we could have life with God through Him.
Many of us look for how others could serve us. We seek affirmation or attention from others, but this is not the way of Jesus. Even though He is the greatest figure in history, He came to serve. When we follow Him, we are to follow His example. We come not to be served but to serve. We look to others not for what they can do for us, but for how we can love them in the way of Christ. When we follow Jesus, our lives are changed to serve as He did.
- What are some specific ways Jesus has served you?
- What would it look like to serve others in a way that points to Jesus?
- Pray and thank God for the way Jesus has served you. Ask Him to help you serve others in light of this reality.
