Knowing that Jesus is the “ultimate” role model, we long to be like Him; to
display His love, compassion, patience, joy, goodness, kindness, faithfulness,
meekness, grace, mercy….. to have a humble heart, to be strong and yet keep that
strength under control.
To be able to turn the other cheek, etcetera, etcetera,
etcetera. This is a very lofty goal for us mere humans that are fashioned from
dust.
We look at our Omnipotent Savior and observe His flawless character. There are
really no words that can sufficiently describe the Lamb of God.
There has to be
a key available to obtain just a few of the characteristics displayed by our
Lord. When we look back over the list, there is one characteristic that truly
exemplifies Jesus that was clearly omitted!
Jesus was a servant and
Jesus Speaks of Servanthood
Here is a passage that tells of the greatness in serving. Because of
time restraints, the whole passage cannot be included, but a snippet of the
portion is:
Matthew 20:20-28 “…whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your
servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave –
‘just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His
life a ransom for many”.
We too can be servants
We too can be servants. Many of the characteristics of Jesus can be manifest in
us as we begin to serve!
Scattered throughout the Bible, are many examples of people who were servants.
First, let’s take a look at the Old Testament to check out some of the
servant/prophets.
1) Elisha was called by God to be a servant for Elijah.
1 Kings 19:16, 19-21. “….he found Elisha, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he
was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. And
he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, ‘please let me kiss my father
and my mother, and then I will follow you.’ And he said to him, ‘ go back again,
for what have I done to you?’ So Elisha turned back from him and took a yoke of
oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment,
and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and
became his servant.”
When Elisha was called, he burned all the equipment he needed for his
livelihood. There was no turning back. That act was an undeniable act of total
commitment. As a result from his obedience, he succeeded Elijah, and God used
him to perform twice as many miracles as did Elijah.
2) JOSHUA -Joshua too was a servant and an aide for Moses. Joshua was faithful
from the moment he was called to spy out the “promised land” until the day he
was appointed successor to Moses, Numbers 27:18-23.
3) ELIEZER - for Abraham – Eliezer is a true example of a servant. In the book
of Genesis chapter 24, we see that Eliezer was sent out by Abraham to relatives
in Mesopotamia, to find a wife for his Son Isaac. In obedience to his master,
he:
1. Accepted the challenge, 24:3, 9
2. Examined alternatives, 24:5
3. Promised to follow instructions, 24:9
4. Made a plan and submitted it to God, 24:12-14
5. Prayed for guidance and devised a strategy with room for God to operate,
24:12-14
6. Waited and watched closely, 24:21
7. Accepted the answer thankfully, 24:26
8. Refused unnecessary delay and followed through with the entire plan, 24:56 &
66
These Old Testament servants wer
These Old Testament servants were selected by God to serve His “chosen ones”. In
their obedience, these men were raised up to positions of prominence, by taking
the place of those that were their masters or leaders. In Eliezer’s case, he was
born as a servant in Abraham’s house but rewarded as his heir.
The New Testament shows us a new kind of servant…….a “bondservant”; in the
Greek, “doulos” is the word for bondservant. That is what the Apostle Paul
declared in his epistles. A slave for Christ; a person that was once a slave and
set free, now choosing to serve his master of his own free will.
When a person
decided to give up his own life of freedom to serve his master, he placed his
ear up against a door and his lobe was thrust through with an awl. As a result,
everyone knew that he willingly belonged to his master.
Let us look first at Paul the Apostle:
Paul’s idea of service was the same as the Lord’s as he reached out to all at
their level and became a servant to all…..
“Even though I am a free man with no
master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ....when I am
with those who are, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to
Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can
to save some….” (1 Cor. 9:19-22 NLT).
“For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your
servants for Jesus’ sake.” (2 Cor 4:5 NIV)
“So I will very gladly spend for you
everything I have and expend myself as well..” (2 Cor 12:15)
In essence, Paul said he knew how to be a “doormat” without resenting it,
because the motivation of his life was devotion to Jesus. The chief motivation
behind Paul’s service was not love for others but love for his Lord.
When Paul
looked back on how he persecuted the believers and ultimately Christ, no matter
how badly others treated him, they could never have treated him with the same
degree of spite and hatred with which he had treated Jesus.
To be continued in part two.
1.) How many characteristics of our Lord are listed in the text?
a) Seven b) Nine c) Eleven d) Thirteen
2) Which gospel contains this partial Scripture, “…whoever desires to be first among you let him be your slave”?
a) Matthew b) Mark c) Luke d) John
3) How many Old Testament servants are displayed in the text?
a) Two b) Three c) Four d) Five
4) Which servant performed more miracles than any other?
a) Eliezer b) Elijah c) Elisha d) Joshua
5) Which Old Testament book tells the story of Elijah and Elisha?
a) Joshua b) 1 Kings c) 2 Kings d) Deuteronomy
6) How did Elisha prove his total commitment?
a) By not turning back b) Saying he was his bondservant c) Burning his equipment d) None of the above
7) What was Abraham’s servant’s name?
a) Eliezer b) Ezekiel c) Elisha d) Elijah
8) Who prayed for guidance and devised a strategy with room for God to operate?
a) Elisha b) Elijah c) Ezekiel d) Eliezer
9) Who is the first example of a New Testament servant?
a) Matthew b) Paul c) Peter d) John
10) Which book contains this Scripture, “…I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some…”?
a) 1 Corinthians b) 2 Corinthians c) 1 Timothy d) 2 Timothy
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