"TAKING THE PLACE OF A SERVANT"

"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Mark 10:45

I thank God for the privilege of serving Him over the past decade of my life. Getting involved in Christian ministry was the first thing I wanted to do from the day I gave my life to the Lord. I didn't want to be someone whose church involvement was nothing but uttering "Amen." I wanted to make a difference. I'm the kind of person who doesn't enjoy sitting down and accomplishing nothing. Procrastination isn't my cup of tea.

I want my life to mean something. I believe that one of the greatest tragedies is not losing but not even trying at all. Sure, my motives weren't saintly when I started in the ministry, but as I was growing in grace and truth, I began to understand serving better.

Serving God is the direct response of a person who experienced the love of God. As followers of Christ, we were grafted into the family of God because of faith in the Lord Jesus, who came to serve and not to be served, as our verse of the day tells us. Everything Jesus ever did, from His teaching ministry to His miracles, and ultimately to His sacrificial death on the Cross, was rooted in His love for lost sinners like you and me.

In this part of Mark 10, the sons of Zebedee, James and John came up to the Lord and asked Him to give them individual seats in His Kingdom (v. 37). Using the illustration of the drinking of a cup and baptism, Jesus asked them if they were ready to go through the same path He was walking, i.e., persecution and martyrdom (v.38). The two disciples said yes (v.39). We can sense some selfishness and pride in their request, which aroused the other ten disciples' anger.

Jesus explained that greatness in the Kingdom of God is determined not by exercising authority or power but by serving. Our Lord exemplified this truth. He came to this earth not as an aristocrat who demanded service but as a humble servant who attended to the needs of the people.

The lesson is first to learn how to obey orders before one can give them. Before someone exercises authority, a person must first know what it means to be placed under authority. Jesus epitomized servant leadership when He washed the disciples' feet and ultimately gave up His life on the Cross as a "ransom" for many. Ransom was the price paid to free a slave or a prisoner. When Jesus died on the Cross on our behalf, He satisfied the demands of God in terms of the forgiveness of sins. God wants every believer to be like Christ, including serving as He served. Though we are children of God, we are also servants of God. We serve Him not to receive wages, but as a loving response to His grace and mercy.

When you love God, you will serve Him and the people He loves. God cared enough for you that He allowed His Son to be your Substitute. Jesus reconciled you with God. But your salvation also comes with a mandate to serve God.

Pursue the Saviour today!