Are You a Servant?

Meditate. To serve or be served?

So Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. Mark 10:42-44

Mosaic of loaves and fishes.
Near the Sea of Galilee, Israel.

Jesus was such a good example of a servant. He fed 5,000 men and their families at one time, and then another 4,000 men and their families another time. That is a lot of people to serve. He didn’t personally hand out the food to them, but He did host those groups and provide the food in a servant manner. He didn’t expect them to wait on Him. They were His guests.

Whenever He healed someone, whether it was a blind man, a lame man lowered through the roof, a leper, a demon possessed person, Peter’s mother-in-law with a fever, or a dying little girl, He did it humbly—as a servant, not boastful or arrogantly showing off. He was unassuming.

Picture Jesus washing His disciples’ feet before their last supper together. He humbly took off His outer garment and with a bowl of water went from disciple to disciple washing their dirty feet and using a towel to dry them. And their feet were probably really dirty since they wore sandals and tromped around on dusty trails all day. Yes, very dirty feet. Jesus’ feet were probably dirty too—so maybe He washed His own after He washed everyone else. None of the Gospels record that. I’m sure He at least washed His hands again before He began serving them food. Remember He blessed the bread—broke the loaf and passed it around the table, as well as a cup of wine. Continued service.

Jesus was an example of a good servant to His disciples—expecting them to follow in His footsteps. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. Can you humble yourself to be a servant—a slave, too?

Service is the rent we pay for our room on earth.

Old quote from a scrap of paper stuck in my Bible. Do you agree?

Prayer ~ Lord Jesus, I am willing to be a servant for You. Show me opportunities to humbly serve You by helping others. I don’t really see myself as a “leader”—but I guess in some areas, I am. So as I “lead” help me to be like You…a willing, devoted and unassuming servant.       

Verses of Salvation ~ The LORD cares deeply when his loved ones die. O LORD, I am your servant; yes, I am your servant, born into your household; you have freed me from my chains. Psalm 116:15-16

Freed and saved. Salvation provided...by our Lord--our servant.

© 2021 Text, photos and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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