Jesus gives a challenging
instruction to his disciples when he tells them that they must be servants to
all. If they want to be first, they must
be last. Today we do not usually aspire
to be last, let alone a servant, for we tend to think of such a position as low
paid and demeaning. Being a servant goes
too much against the cultural and political grain of today. And yet, this is the precise role that Jesus
calls for in his instruction to the disciples. If we are to follow his
counsel, we must make sense of what being a servant means in today’s milieu
that emphasizes autonomy and self-determination as the touchstones of
independence.
Jesus himself provides the
answer when he declares that “the Son of Man did not come to be served but to
serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus is the Divine Word who created the
entire universe, and yet, humbled himself to share in our humanity as servant
to all. His guide and measure in his
mission of service is love for the children of God.
Isaiah clearly revealed the
heart of love as service to others 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).
This conduct follows a principle of love that applies to all of us.
Jesus appeals to this same
principle of love when he addresses the issue of wealth in many of his
parables. In these 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 love and support, especially with respect to the
poor.
Care for the poor is the
central theme of the U.S. Bishops’ pastoral letter, Economic Justice for All.
Although published many years ago in 1986, their appeal remains relevant
and just as urgent today. In their
letter, the Bishops present and defend economic standards based on biblical
norms and the social justice teaching of the Church. The bishops rely on that tradition to affirm
the moral principle that “all members of society have a special obligation to
the poor and vulnerable.” They note that
this “preferential option for the poor” does not mean pitting one group against
another, but rather, strengthening the whole community by assisting those who
are most vulnerable (EJ n. 16).
The bishops conclude that,
“As Christians, we are called to respond to the needs of all our brothers and
sisters, but those with the greatest needs require the greatest response” (EJ
n. 16). Therefore, the “invisible poor” must not be marginalized in society or
in societal consciousness. Neither should a “preferential option for the poor”
be invisible in guiding social policy, nor a marginalized principle in the
consciousness of Christians.
The Church continues to pursue
this goal in a special way today through its missionary work across the world. For
this reason, Pope Pius XI instituted World
Mission Sunday in 1926 to be celebrated each year on this Sunday. This designation calls attention to clinics
caring for the sick and dying, orphanages providing a place of safety and
shelter, and schools offering education from kindergarten through high school. The
collection for World Mission Sunday also goes to fund seminaries preparing
candidates for the priesthood and support for other religious formation
programs. This missionary work takes place in over one thousand dioceses
throughout the world, mostly in Africa and Asia. In these missions, the poor receive education
and health care while experiencing the loving heart of our Lord.
This missionary work flows
from the instruction that Jesus gave to his disciples long ago. Today that instruction challenges us to
uphold a different vision of life than most would find acceptable. Jesus outlines the parameters of that vision
with his focus on love and service. For
Jesus, a person’s worth is not determined by appearance or income or ethnic
background or citizenship status.
Rather, each person is the image and likeness of God and thus has worth
as a sacred 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. These are holy commands from the One who
created us.
Jesus showed us how to fulfill
this holy command to love and serve.
And, Paul appeals to this model when he says of Jesus, “For we do not
have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who
has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So, let us confidently
approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely
help” (Heb 4:14-16). Paul makes this appeal because he knows that Jesus is
anxious to show us how to be servant to all.
Jesus knows what it takes. He simply asks that we follow in his
footsteps.
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