"Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for His needs." (Matthew 27:55 NIV)
I came across this scripture weeks ago and it’s still haunting me. The women were following Jesus to care for HIS needs, not their own.
It’s quite a copernican shift, isn’t it?
If you are unfamiliar with the phrase, Nicholas Copernican was the first to suggest that the earth revolved around the sun, rather than the sun revolve around the earth. Before Copernican’s ludicrous suggestion, it was commonly accepted that the world was stationary and the sun and moon made their way around humanity. Of course, everything changes when we awaken to the fact that we are a small part of a much large solar system, and galaxy beyond that.
So many of us are following Jesus to see what He can do for us. Remarkably, the women of the gospel went after Jesus to see how they could serve Him. They didn’t view Jesus as a Savior orbiting about them, rather they devoted their orbit to Him.
I’m convicted. I can confess it. My human frailties propel me into Jesus’ presence. But spiritual maturity makes me ask: how can I serve the body of Christ today?
Yesterday I over another scripture along the same lines. Though I’ve read the Bible through maybe a dozen times, I’ve never ‘seen’ this text before. Maybe it will captivate your attention, too.
"When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, 'Come in and eat with me?' No, he says, 'Prepare my meal, put on your apron and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.' And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not." (Luke 17:7-9 NLT)
I don’t now about you, but these verses do not sit well with my American consumer mindset. Slavery ended in this country a long time ago and we’re all still quite opposed. Objection rose up within me: we’re no longer slaves but friends! But the longer I sit with scripture I dislike, more it transforms.
We forget, we are not equals with Jesus. He is Lord and we are subject. His graciousness disarms us, but we serve Him, not the other way around. He is the Master, we are the help. When He sends us into fields for plowing or to sheep we acknowledge that this is tough but important business. Serving His table is a blessing because He is always building a bigger table. David Guzik reminds us:
"Plowing is hard work; it exhausts the strength and endurance of the plowman. It is hard work in farming and it is hard work in spiritual ministry. Tending sheep can also be hard work, requiring a lot of patience, attention to detail, and a caring heart."
If He sends us to the fields for plowing or to the sheep for tending or tables for serving, our response needs to be affirmative, not complaintive. We do well to recall the mountains have been moved on our behalf. When we lose perspective of the honor of living in God’s household, we become ungrateful and entitled. We lose sight of the fact that large households require large effort. We keep serving because there is still work to do. It is our joy to contribute to the family legacy.
I’ve read enough about slavery to understand that the morality of the master made all the difference. Good men made fine masters. Loving owners took care of their servants, treating them s family, providing for their education and well-being.
We serve a good master. He has bought us off the auction block with His own blood – at a price so exorbitant that we could never come up with it on our own. We serve in the fields, with the sheep, and at the table happily. We remain grateful to have escaped the tyrant taskmaster – the devil – whom we belonged to before.
"In the same way, when you obey me you should say, 'We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.'" (Luke 17:9 NLT)
Lord, keep us dressed for service. May we gladly follow Your instructions, even if it includes tasks we dislike. Keep us from balking at our assignment. Help us remember the blessing of belonging to Your household. We serve at Your pleasure. Please strengthen and equip us to accomplish all that You ask. Amen.