CHARACTER QUALITY # 41 Servanthood

“Here is a story about two blind men…”

Matthew 20:17-34

Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, 18 "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19 and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!"

20 Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. 21 "What is it you want?" he asked.  She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."  22 "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" "We can," they answered.  23 Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."

24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.

25 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  26 Not so with you.  Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

29 As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him.

30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"  31 The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"  32 Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. 33 "Lord," they answered, "we want our sight." 34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve.  That statement by Jesus is HUGE!  When Jesus returned to heaven, his character did not change.  He is still a God who serves.  He served in many ways beginning at a wedding in Cana to a cross on Calvary.

Can you think of other times Jesus showed himself as a servant?  Add them in a comment below.  Later if you think of other ways, add them as well.  Are there other ways you have seen God’s character of servanthood through the Old Testament or New, or throughout history.  How has God personally served you?  In what ways have you, are you, or will you take on the character of servant hood as a way to follow Jesus?

From the Heart,
Pastor Jeff