Must Be a Servant

Seeking Greatness

Our human nature is to seek greatness, unfortunately oftentimes at the cost of others. In Matthew’s Jesus on several occasions teaches his disciples what it takes to be great in the Kingdom of God.

In Matthew 18:1-10 Jesus encourages them to have the faith and humility of a child. In Matthew 20:20-28 the mother of James and John asks Jesus for her two sons sit in places of honor in His Kingdom. Jesus response was those who want to lead must serve. The Son of Man even came to serve and not be served. Which brings us to our passage for today, Matthew 23:1-12 Jesus ends a section of critiques of the religious leaders of his day with what he says in Matthew 23:11-12

Matthew 23:11–12 NLT

11 The greatest among you must be a servant. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

If we personally want to be great in God’s Kingdom we must be a servant. If we want to collectively be a great church in God’s Kingdom we must be a servant. As we wrestle with this scripture may our collective prayer be make me a servant, make us servants to glory of your kingdom.

Must Be a Servant

The point of our passage today is not the condemnation of the religious leaders of the day. The point of today’s passage is to understand what means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. What it truly means to live like him. The main point Jesus is making is we must be a servant.

DO WHAT THEY SAY NOT WHAT THEY DO.

Jesus starts his teaching with an example of what not to do. He also affirms the religious leaders of the day to be the official interpreters of the law, so practice what they teach. However they can’t or won’t live up to what they preach so don’t do what they do. The religious leaders of Jesus day are not good example to follow.

Everything they do is for show. To show how holier than thou they are than the next pharisee striving to get that place of honor, perhaps even be so respected that they might be high priest. They crave and will fight for those seats of honor with disregard to others. Their show seeks to serve only themselves. Jesus message to his disciples and to us is don’t be like them.

As Christ disciples we are called to be like Christ. Not seeking lofty titles, but seeking to serve. Jesus displays what this looks like when he washes his disciples feet in John 13. John 13:12-15

John 13:12–15 NLT

12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.

This is the level of love Jesus displayed for us. That he was willing to bend down and serve his disciples with a service normally reserved for the lowest servant in the house. This is the example we are to follow. If we want to be great in the Kingdom of God we must be a servant.

Matthew 20:26–28 NRSV

26 It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Philippians 2:5–7 NLT

5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,

Brothers and sisters, I am humbled and blessed that God has called us together to serve this community. God has called us together to serve his church. There is one point for us to grasp today, we must be a servant as Christ was a servant.

We Leave to Serve

Churches are often referred to as whomever the pastor of the church is at the time Church. Last week I was told this is your church. Those aren’t wrong things to say, but ultimately this, we are God’s church and we’re here to serve.

Haverhill, Church of the Nazarene is God’s church and I am humbled and blessed that he called us here to serve. If we want to be a great church to the community of Haverhill and in the Kingdom of God. We must be a servant. We must have the same mindset that was in Christ Jesus who came to serve and not be served.

As we come to God’s table this morning may the prayer of our heart be, make us a servant today.