Jesus gives a fairly demanding instruction to
his disciples when he tells them that they must be servants to all (Mk 9:35). If they want to be first, Jesus says they must
be last, not like the rulers of the day.
Jesus warns against the kind of authority figure who seeks power and
control over others. Rulers of this sort
are interested in securing status and personal esteem at the expense of those
under their rule. Beyond this, they care
nothing for those around them.
Despite how we might agree with this assessment,
the alternative that Jesus calls for isn’t very attractive either. We do not usually aspire to be a servant, for
we tend to think of servant positions as low paid and demeaning. Being a servant goes too much against the
cultural and political grain of our day.
And yet, this is the precise role that Jesus calls for in his
instruction to the disciples. This presents a dilemma for us, for if we are to
follow this counsel, we must make sense of what it means to be a servant in
today’s world.
The clue is in the characterization that Jesus
gives of himself when he explains that, “the Son of Man did not come to be
served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28). Jesus is the Divine Word that created the
entire universe, and yet, he humbled himself to share in our humanity as
servant to all. His guide and measure in
his mission of service was love for the children of God. We can do no better
than to imitate his character in our own lives.
We know what this means. Isaiah clearly revealed the heart of what it
means to serve when he says of the Lord, “This…is the fasting that I wish:
releasing those bound unjustly…setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke;
sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;
clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own (Is
58:6-7). Such conduct follows a principle
of love that applies to all of us.
Jesus appeals to this same principle when he
addresses the issue of wealth in many of his parables. With such parables, Jesus does not condemn
the possession of wealth. Rather, he
insists that wealth must be shared with those in need. Jesus wants us to care about what happens to
those around us, with real care and support.
This is especially true with respect to the poor and the vulnerable
members of society.
This perspective challenges us to uphold a
different vision of life. Jesus outlines
the parameters in that regard with his focus on service. On this view, a person’s worth is not
determined by appearance or income or ethnic background or even citizenship
status. Rather, each person is created
in the image and likeness of God, and thus has a sacred worth as an inviolable
gift of God. With many parables about
wealth and service, Jesus reminds us that the values of the kingdom—compassion,
justice, mercy, and care for the least of his beloved—are not arbitrary values
agreed upon by politicians and sociologists, but holy commands from the One who
created us.
Jesus knows what it takes to be servant to
all. He has been there; done that, and
he has shown us the way. He simply asks
that we follow him.
No comments:
Post a Comment