DAY three- SERVANT
Pause
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20:28
Picture the things that will vie for your attention today. Breathe deeply as you imagine placing each of them in a file folder that God holds gently for later.
See Jesus welcoming you here. Hear Him saying: I didn’t come so you could serve me, but so that I can serve you.
Turn this truth over in your mind for a few minutes.
What invitation do you hear in this? What questions do His words bring up?
Ponder
“When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.”
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.”
Isaiah 53:11
It was a balmy Sunday evening at the homeless center. The line of weary people waiting for a warm meal and a kind word was long. We’d come carrying basins, warm water, and gentle-scented soap to offer pedicures to any who were willing.
Irene, an unassuming woman with streaks of grey in her hair, sat down before me. I carefully removed her tattered shoes, asking her where she’d grown up. She didn’t answer. I looked up and saw her head turned away, her eyes fixed on the ground.
Gently washing her feet, I prayed silently over the suffering that permeated her life, occasionally asking another question...she had no answers. When we finished, she left without looking at me.
What might Irene have been feeling that night? Embarrassment? Shame? Was she discomfited by her need… by my strength in serving her?
Letting others serve us can be hard. Our dependency embarrasses us. Our neediness makes us feel vulnerable…we fear rejection or judgement.
Perhaps Peter felt some of this when Jesus knelt to wash the disciples feet in their final meal together. “No! You will never wash my feet!” the boisterous disciple protested.
Jesus answered: “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”
In this final act of humility, Jesus the Servant set in place a principle that His followers have struggled with for over two thousand years. It is simply this:
An invitation to follow Jesus is an
invitation to let Him serve us.
Unless the Servant comes…
a towel of grace wrapped around His waist…
kneeling before us with eyes of love…
His powerful hands washing us clean…
we won’t know the joy in being His...the wonder of belonging.
Jesus minced no words. I did not come to be served… but to serve.
As Servant, Jesus came for the vulnerable… the dependent… the needy ones.
What does this mean?
Jesus serves us when we stop striving to do all, be all, give all...
…and let Him become our All in all.
Our need is Christ's opportunity. Our dependence, His open door.
The more Jesus serves us, the greater His glory shines.
Only in letting Jesus serve us--love us, empower us, teach us, strengthen us, cleanse us, forgive us--
can we hope to live as He desires.
In the Servant we find the grace to serve.
Pray
“For since the world began,
no ear has heard
and no eye has seen a God like you,
who works for those who wait for him!”
no ear has heard
and no eye has seen a God like you,
who works for those who wait for him!”
Isaiah 64:4
What has been your experience of letting Jesus serve you? In what ways are you able to be needy in His presence?
Are you focused more on trying to give Him your all...or learning to let Him be your All in all?
Offer a prayer today that is vulnerable...dependent...honest about your need.
Practice
Sometime today or tomorrow, read the story in John 13:1–8. Picture Jesus coming to wash your feet. Sit before Him, telling Him where you need His grace.
Look into His eyes of love and tell Him you believe that He will give you what you need… that He will serve you.