The Problem with Being a Servant

Reading the Scriptures, we find a number of terms for identifying people we commonly refer to as “Christians.” Among them are “children of God” (1 John 3:1), “sheep of His pasture” (Psalm 100:3), “followers of Jesus” (Luke 22:49), “saints” (Philippians 1:1), and “believers” (James 2:1). Each of those individually is deserving of discussion, but one term we don’t hear spoken nearly as much is “servants.”

 

One reason it’s not used as frequently is probably because, after all, doesn’t being called a servant sound demeaning? If we believe what the Bible says, the answer to this question is both ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ 

 

Consider Mark 10:45, in which Jesus Himself declared, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Imagine that! The Son of God – God incarnate – determining not to demand the honor and position that He truly deserved. Instead, He assumed the role of a servant, doing things like shunning earthly comforts, ministering to outcasts, healing the sick, miraculously feeding thousands, riding a lowly donkey into Jerusalem, and dying on a cross to atone for sins He did not and could not commit.

Following Jesus’ example, His followers used the same term for themselves. The apostle Paul opened his letter to the church in Philippi with, “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:1). He started the book of Romans the same way: “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus….” 

 

The apostle Peter asserted the same, opening his second New Testament letter with, “Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:1). The apostle James referred to himself as “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1).

 

But what does that have to do with us? Actually, it has everything to do with us. In the gospel of John we read of Jesus performing the demeaning task of washing His disciples’ feet, truly the role of a hired servant. When He was finished He told them, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14).

 

Ah, but this is easier said than done, right? We enjoy being served – whether it’s at a restaurant or having someone perform some necessary service for us. But when the tables are turned, figuratively if not literally, not so much.

 

My friend Ken in Omaha, Neb., in one of his brief weekly email reflections, made these observations about serving and servanthood:

“You’ll know you are a servant – when you are treated like one. I want people to view me as a good servant of God. I want folks to be impressed with my self-sacrificing commitment to the Lord and to others…. But that’s not the mark of a real servant.

 

“A true servant is in the shadows, invisible, never drawing attention to self, simply knowing and anticipating and meeting the desire of the master.”

 

Genuine servanthood – being a servant to God and others – isn’t optional for Christ followers. It’s part of the job description. Paul exhorted believers in ancient Ephesus, “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free” (Ephesians 6:7). He presented essentially the same admonition in Colossians 3:17-23 for believers in ancient Colossae. 

 

As my friend Ken said, you’ll know you’re a servant when you’re treated like one. When someone of greater importance or position arrives and you’re directed – not politely asked – to perform acts of service and after you’ve done so, you’re not shown the gratitude and appreciation you feel you deserve.

 

At such times we need to remember and follow the example of the Lord Jesus, who humbly announced that He “did not come to be served but to serve.” If Jesus was okay with that, shouldn’t we be?

Serving Isn’t Limited to Tennis Courts and Ping-Pong Tables

People who know me are very aware I’m a bit of a punster. (All right, more than just a bit.) For instance, I like to explain that Jesus Christ loved to play tennis (or badminton or ping-pong, if you prefer). Because He said, “I did not come to be served, but to serve,” and also told His listeners, “Watch out for My return.”

Yes, for the purists, that’s not what He meant. At least I don’t think so – context, context, context. But Jesus did talk quite a bit about serving, and indicated it should be important His followers as well.

 

The gospels tell about a selfish dispute Jesus’ disciples were having and the humbling example Jesus used to change their perspective: 

“They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ‘Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.’ He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me’” (Mark 9:33-37).

 

In the Our Daily Bread devotional, Sheridan Voysey provided insight on the term, “welcome.” He wrote, “To ‘welcome’ someone in Jewish culture meant to serve them, the way a host welcomes a guest. Since children were to serve adults and not be served, the idea must’ve been shocking. Jesus’ point? True greatness resides in serving the smallest and lowliest.”

 

So in this passage, Jesus was being countercultural, bestowing honor on a child whom society viewed as a second-class citizen at best. He had a habit of doing that, saying and demonstrating things that caused his listeners to do a double-take, thinking, “Say what?”

 

Serving I must admit, isn’t an easy thing for me. It’s definitely not my default setting. Service is actually one of the spiritual gifts, and I don’t have it. People with the gift of serving jump up immediately whenever there’s a need. They don’t even need to be asked; they just recognize that something must be done – and they do it. I’m more inclined to rationalize why I don’t have to help. But just because we don’t have the “gift,” that doesn’t excuse us from serving when opportunities present themselves.

 

In another passage, Jesus observed, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves…. I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:25-27).

 

This admonition cut against the grain then, and it continues to do so today. People with power, position, wealth and fame typically expect – and receive – deference from people around them. We find this with celebrities, prominent public officials and civic leaders, top executives, big donors to charitable causes, even some pastors. 

 

At times, however, we marvel when people whom society says should be served take on the servant’s role, humbly and graciously tending to the needs of others without fanfare. When that happens, we can’t help but stop and take notice.

 

I’ve worked for both types of people – some who expected everyone to yield to their demands at all times, and others who consistently demonstrated genuine concern for others. Those were living out the exhortation from Philippians 2:3-4, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” 

 

Even if we haven’t received the spiritual gift of service, there are countless ways we can serve others. It might be volunteering to work in the church nursery; visiting sick people in the hospital or shut-ins in their homes; offering to drive someone to an appointment who doesn’t have transportation; doing simple chores for a neighbor unable to do them for herself; or even simply sending a handwritten note (rare these days) or making a phone call to let someone know they’re loved. A small gesture can make a big difference in one’s day. 

 

Of course, the greatest example of service was Jesus Christ, giving His life on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). We can’t imagine a selfless act of greater magnitude than this.

 

Jesus foreshadowed this when He told His disciples, as the horrific yet wonderful day drew near, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). His crucifixion wasn’t an accident; it was the ultimate reason He came.

Given this almost incomprehensible example of service, can we do any less? As Jesus said, ”If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Taking up one’s cross – dying to self and setting aside personal interests – isn’t easy. But that’s what the Lord has called us to do. And when we do, in this “all about me” world in which we live, we can become countercultural, too.