SERVING IN HUMILITY

SERVING IN HUMILITY

{JOSHUA 3.7-17; 1 THESSALONIANS 2.9-13; MATTHEW 23.1-12}.

I will like us to begin our narrative from Matthew 23.1-13. In this text we come across a certain group of people our Lord Jesus Christ warns us against. These are persons called to serve others but because they have the wrong understanding of what service is they demand that the people they are to serve rather serve them. The whole nation order is thrown into disorder for the servants are now being served. To use the language of the Prophets – servants are riding on horses whiles princess walk.

Some of us here have been called to serve, some will be called to serve. How true is that statement? I would like to say there is nothing true of that statement for we are all servants called to serve. The truth that can be said is that some of us will serve well, whiles others will fail terribly at our service.

Christ tells us not to be that kind of servant who fails. Do not be that man. Do not be that woman. That man or that woman is the one who can’t help blowing her own trumpet. She has to let the world know that she is serving, she seeks recognition for her service. That is the lesson of Matthew 23.

In Matthew 13 Jesus shows us the kind of persons we should be. The kind that serves out of love to serve. The kind that washes other peoples dirty feet. We need to be clear on who the other people are - they are not people who are intellectually superior, financially wealthy and since this is a spiritual community we should also know that these other people are not even spiritual giants. They are normal everyday people with particular dirty feet – feet caked with mud. Animal dung, urine, and sand doesn’t make a nice mud. This is the kind of people and feet He washed. We all accept that it is the lesser who is to wash the feet of the greater but in this story as we are told there was no lesser being. Those whom we would have called lesser were reasoning out that since they were all disciples they were also of equal standing. I can see Jesus smiling as this silent battle waged and picking up the bowl, pitcher and towel to do that which the disciples should and could have done.

In this story, Christ exhibited what has now been called servant leadership. A servant leader is one who is a servant first and a leader who desires to make sure other people’s needs are being served. Servant leaders are functionally superior because they are closer to the ground –they see things, they hear things, they know things, and because of this their intuitive insight is exceptional.

We are told in 1 Thessalonians 2.12 to exhibit the nature of Christ in our service. But how do we do that?

1. We need to be born again – that means we acknowledge that we are evil persons who cannot save ourselves, persons who seek every opportunity to show people who is boss and therefore seek a way out of our dilemma. We need to be people who seek the way of Christ. We need to call on Him to save us from our sins and give us of His nature.

2. We need to actively pursue the image and nature of Christ. In our case this image is the humility of Christ who came to serve as Matthew 20.28 tells us, the Christ who left His glory and became a man as Philippians 2.3and 4 says.

God exalted Joshua (3.7) and made him a leader of the people but we don’t see him lording it over the people. God performed wonders through him but we don’t come across him reminding the people or calling attention to the mighty things he has done. Joshua served in humility. He was humble enough to always come back to the one who had exalted him, this humility permeated all his service.

These characteristics can be found in persons who serve in humility, 1) listening, 2) empathy, 3) healing, 4) awareness, 5) persuasion, 6) conceptualization, 7) foresight, 8) stewardship, 9) commitment to the growth of the people, 10) building community.

Let’s end with this text ringing in our souls - render service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man (Ephesians 6.7).

BENEDICTION – MAY THE LORD DIRECT YOUR HEART TO THE LOVE OF GOD AS YOU SEEK TO SERVE IN TRUE HUMILITY.