To serve, a higher calling

Matthew 20:20-28.

Question: Would you want your mum to visit your workplace? And if yes, would you be happy for her to meet your boss? Thoughts that come to mind: Would she mention that weird childhood habit I had?... Or would she tell my boss off for my workloads and demand a salary raise on my behalf?

Getting close to the end of Jesus' earthly ministry, a mum visited her sons' workplace and had a word with the boss, as seen in the passage.

She unhesitantly requested (in paraphrase, v21): I want my two sons to be next to you in command. (James and John Zebedee must be proud that mum kicked off a favourable conversation.)

But Jesus, being the true servant boss, did not say "put in the hours, meet the KPIs, put yourself out there - people gotta see what you're doing, and gradually you climb the ladder and eventually you become everyone's boss."

Rather, Jesus also unhesitantly responded (shortened, v25-28): don't lord it over people, the way to be great is to be a servant, the way to be first is to be the slave, you want to be like me - then serve like me...

"...even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" v28.

If indeed the cross of Jesus was a selfless act of service that brought him death for our gain (Isaiah 53:4-5), then every response to serve Him and His brethren must be a worthy higher calling for the lives he rose to save (1 John 4:19).

It is a great thing to serve the Lord. Happy Easter.

Reflect & Pray

In what area might the Lord be leading you to serve Him? How might you take that first step?

God bless you exceedingly,
Sam.

God’s mercy: sovereign over all

Jonah 1:1-16. I hope you had an enjoyable Christmas break. Happy New Year! Have you ever had one of those sat-nav moments where no matter how far off course you go, it keeps rerouting and repeating “make a u-turn.” That’s the story of Jonah. God sends him north-east to Nineveh, but Jonah heads west to Joppa instead. And the book shows us something remarkable: God’s response to people on the wrong route isn’t abandonment, but mercy. Like a sat-nav, He keeps rerouting and calling us back to Himself. Jonah takes us on a journey into the nature of God’s mercy. In today’s passage, as we see the striking stubbornness of Jonah toward God, we begin to see the saving sovereignty of God’s mercy. In spite of Jonah’s refusal of God’s directive, God is still in control. He commands and can change all things (Ps 148:5, Jer 32:17). ...

The Birth that affects everyone

Luke 2:10-15. (The message of the angel to the shepherds). When a baby is born, people celebrate, send gifts, and travel from all over to see the baby. And it can be pretty expensive for those of us with siblings all over. Often, when we see the baby, we make physical remarks like: “Oh, she’s got a round head like her dad”, or “his eyes are like his mum’s,” or “the baby’s so cute”, or “isn’t it lovely that she sleeps a lot”. All these remarks are not remarks of expectation. We’re not expecting anything from the baby for ourselves, let alone for everyone; that would be odd. But many years ago, a baby was born, and an angel appeared to some shepherds, informing them that this birth had implications for all people (v10). This birth affects everyone, you and me, both in this life and in the next. What did th...

God’s mercy: seeking the prodigal

Jonah 1:17-2:10. How does God respond to someone who once knew Him (2 Kings 14:23–29) but has now turned away (1:3)? Our passage shows that, like a satnav that never stops rerouting, God moves toward Jonah in mercy, determined to restore him even if it takes a dramatic intervention. And this is what God does! God routed a great fish to Jonah. When Jonah chose to drown rather than obey (1:12), God had a plan. Before Jonah ever prayed, God acted. He sent a great fish to Jonah’s exact location as a strange but merciful provision (1:17). What felt like the depths of chaos, a life-ebbing experience (2:2-6), was in fact God’s deliberate rescue plan. The fish became the very place where Jonah could no longer run and could finally look up. In mercy, God allowed distress to become the pathway back to Himself. God revealed Himself to Jonah. In the dep...

A Devotional Life

Search This Blog