CALLED TO SERVE

Jesus had twelve disciples, and out of the twelve, three of them (Peter, John, and James) appeared to have a closer relationship with Him, and because of this, they witnessed some of Jesus’ greatest moments. The other disciples saw the closeness of these three to Jesus and were possibly envious. This may have sparked the debate over who would have the highest ranking position in Jesus’ kingdom. Though Jesus, during His earthly ministry, attempted to tell them numerous times that his earthly kingdom rule was not for the present but for the future, they did not grasp what He was saying. Thus, He admonished them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35). He informed them to think about humbly serving and not to serve to gain political-social status.

In God’s kingdom, a core principle is servanthood. By serving God and each other, we are modeling Jesus, for God sent his Son to earth to serve. The Word states, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Jesus served lovingly and willingly and made the ultimate sacrifice in servanthood. He served humanity by giving his life.  

Serving sometimes may take you out of your comfort zone. It may require you to go to places that are not up to your standard of living. It may require interacting with people whom we consider to be undesirable; nevertheless, in all of this, we are doing the will of the Father and promoting His kingdom

In a parable found in Matthew 25, Jesus shares the story of a man who gives money to three workers before going on a trip. When he returns home, he calls the workers to inquire what they did with the funds he gave them. Two of the workers increased the amount they received; thus, the man addressed them as, “good and faithful servants. “However, to the man who did nothing, he said, “Thou wicked and slothful servant.” Yes, God expects us to work and produce, He gives us gifts and talents, and He expects us to use them in serving and encouraging others. And ultimately, God wants believers to understand they are called to serve.