Jesus gives a fairly demanding instruction to his disciples when he tells them that they must be servants to all. 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 Jesus on this score, the alternative that he 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. 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 says 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. The guide and measure in his mission of service was love for the children of God and love for his creation. We can do no better than to imitate his mission of service 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 simply follows a principle of love.
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 expects 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 of that life with his focus on service. For Jesus, a person’s worth is not determined by appearance or income or ethnic background or even citizenship status. Rather, because each person is created in the image and likeness of God, each of us is an inviolable gift of God with a sacred worth. For this reason, Jesus reminds us with his many parables about wealth that the values of the kingdom—compassion, justice, mercy, and care for the least of his beloved—are not arbitrary values. These are holy expectations of the One who created us and loves us.
Jesus knows what it takes to be servant to all, and he has shown us the way. He simply asks that we follow him.
No comments:
Post a Comment