“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28
The Lord Jesus is, at the same time, the Path, the Pattern, and the Power, for living. We have in Him, when He walked upon this earth, the very picture of what it is for Divinity to walk among us, in the flesh. The Apostle John put it like this: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (1:14) What was it about the revelation of God in Christ that was so striking? We could speak of HIs love, goodness, powerful witness to the Father and His faithfulness. However, we might be able to describe in some small measure, the coming of the Lord Jesus, to walk among us, as “unique.” The Bible would use the word “holy,” for it would communicate to us the sinlessness, purity, and perfection of God Himself. It was a separateness from sinful man, and yet, a complete identification with him in his need and limitations. It is in looking closely at the Lord Jesus that we discover He was, as a man, unlike any other man that ever existed, or will exist. Although, the first Adam may have born, in some small measure, a likeness to Christ, there was about the demeanor, actions, and words of Christ, the revelation of His power and authority, that not only influenced and changed the hearers, but which had their perfect accomplishment in the world. In other words, the stamp of God’s blessing, beauty, and abounding grace, was constantly distinguishing Him from all others. This uniqueness of Christ was perhaps least expected to be revealed and understood, when He “…took upon Him the form of a servant.” (Phil. 2:7) When Christ came to this earth, He would come as a King, but one who had laid aside HIs authority and power as such, so that by His example, lowliness and humility, He could reach the lowliest of men, that He might save them. What then does this mean for the true believer, the disciple of Christ? It means clearly that we have not understood what it means to follow Christ, until we have accepted the yoke of His servant’s attitude, first in being the servant of God, but also, called to serve and minister to men. The attitude of Christ, His mind, is communicated to His followers by that which He said of Himself, a principle by which He lived: “…The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.” How is this matter of being a servant specifically applied to the believer, and to be lived?
Scripture tells us that the servant is not greater than the master. It also reveals that the great characteristic of being a good servant is faithfulness. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews once wrote: “And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after.” (3:5) After Moses had died, the Lord, in addressing Joshua, made this statement: “Moses, my servant, is dead; now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan…” (Joshua 1:2) It is clearly seen that God elevates the attitude of being a faithful servant of God. God gives the capacity and grace to deny, and forget oneself, elevating and giving preference to others. The true servant esteems others more important than oneself. He is selfless. It has been said that, if there was one word that characterized the life of Christ, it would be the word, “others.”
To be a servant of Christ is to adopt, and make one’s own, an attitude of living no longer for oneself but for God, and others. One looks to God for grace to live to serve, according to His will, and by His Spirit. It is as one walks, in all humility of mind and heart with God, that he is able to receive from God, that which others truly need.
Dear Father, Clothe us with the mind of Christ, Thy perfect servant. In Jesus’ name, Amen.