The Commitment to Serve

Have you ever had the experience of making commitments you wish you could take back later? Maybe accepting an invitation to what sounded like a really fun dinner party  at the time, but then the day of the party came and it was a long exhausting week and you are fighting a headache, and now suddenly it does not sound all that fun anymore. But you committed to bring one of the dishes to pass in providing the meal, so this turns out to be a commitment that is not easy to break. Sometimes commitments work that way. Sometimes we agree to do things that we might later choose differently; but a commitment is a commitment, and we want to honor our commitments.

we sign up and commit to do the things we want to do, and we pass on the things we would rather not do

Its not always that way. In fact, I would guess it is rarely that way. Most of the time we are people who commit to things that are eagerly inviting. I was invited to be out of town a few days this week with one of my sisters. I committed to go along with her. I was looking forward to it. And I’m glad I did it. I dare say that most of the time that is how our voluntary commitments work. We sign up and commit to do the things we want to do, and we pass on the things we would rather not do.

we follow as disciples of Jesus who seek to emulate and echo the habits and character of Jesus

We started this series for Lent last week by beginning to talk about the nature of being a servant. Jesus came into this world in order to serve the world that God loves. And we follow as disciples of Jesus who seek to emulate and echo the habits and character of Jesus. We are called to be servants as well.

is service like a buffet counter of appealing choices?

I invite us to think a step further with that today. I imagine many of us think of serving as an invitation or an opportunity; as though serving Jesus is like walking up to a buffet counter and selecting only the things that look good. In all the years I spent as a youth pastor I had several occasions of putting together service project trips for students. And every year we would look over the options of places to go and the kind of work that our students would do, and we would make choices of what looked good. We chose service project trips in which the kids would want to participate. They would look forward to it; they would be excited to go along. I never approached choosing a service project trip thinking, “what’s the worst imaginable place these kids would ever want to go, and what’s the worst imaginable work they would ever want to do?”

Alright, I admittedly am setting up a false dichotomy here on purpose in order to get us thinking about the nature of servanthood. Indeed, service is not stuck at one end or the other of two extremes. Serving is not only about doing the acts of service we love. And neither is service about self-torture, only subjecting ourselves to misery in acts of service we detest. But somewhere in the middle of that is a space for commitment. When it comes down to it, being a servant of Jesus takes a level of commitment. Let’s think about that today by seeing two stories from the Bible; one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament.

Genesis 15:1–12 (NIV)

Genesis 15:1–12 NIV

1 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” 2 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” 4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. 7 He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.” 8 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?” 9 So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.” 10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.

Genesis 15:17–18 (NIV)

Genesis 15:17–18 NIV

17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates—

Luke 13:31–35 (NIV)

Luke 13:31–35 NIV

31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” 32 He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ 33 In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem! 34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Bible shows us examples of God being the one who serves

Okay, maybe you are wondering what in the world these two passages have to do with each other. I began by talking about some of the various ways in which we serve. But these two passages present us with situations in which it is God who serves. What does God’s commitment to service tell us about our commitment to serve?

covenant ritual: God himself is moving between these cut up pieces of animals

In the first story we see this bizarre covenant ritual in which Abram takes several different kinds of animals and cuts them in two, arranging the two halves opposite each other. Then, when Abram falls into a deep sleep, God shows up symbolically in the form of a torch and smoking firepot. Think of the firepot as an early rendition of a portable fire pit, something in which hot coals would be placed and could be used for providing heat or cooking. Either way, the torch and the firepot are symbols of fire. And as you may be aware, the presence of God in the first books of the Bible is often symbolized with fire. The meaning of the authors of Genesis is clear enough. We are to understand that it is God himself moving between these cut up pieces of animals.

“may this be done to me if I ever break my word and go back on this covenant”

And as the presence of God moves between these animal pieces, a commitment is made. God makes a covenant with Abram concerning the promised land of Canaan. It is a commitment. Yet this strange covenant ceremony carries weight. The covenant commitment God makes to Abram comes with this visual symbol. By passing between the row of slaughtered animals, it is as though God is saying, “may this be done to me if I ever break my word and go back on this covenant.” God is saying, “may I be the one who is slaughtered if fail to honor this commitment.” Okay, now that’s a serious commitment. I don’t think any one of us are on the hook to be cut in half if we occasionally bail on a dinner party or renege on a lunch meeting. Perhaps the closest we come to feeling such a weight in through the struggle of a marriage which fall apart. The commitment of marriage vows carry greater weight. But still, no one is literally getting cut in half, even if it figuratively might feel that way. Yet this is the commitment God makes.

the fox and the hen: Jesus himself will stand between the danger and the ones he loves

In the gospel of Luke Jesus tells this short story which also illustrates a level of commitment. This story involves animals as well: a fox and chickens. Jesus is comparing king Herod to the fox. I take it to mean here that Jesus refers to Herod as representative of all local earthly authorities there in Jerusalem during his time. And Jesus means to refer to himself as the hen who gathers and protects the chicks. If you know anything about farm animals, you know that the fox is the predator and the chickens are the prey. Jesus is saying to the Pharisees that God will place himself between his beloved children and the one who means to do them harm. God himself will protect his children even at his own cost. Again, a story of commitment which shows the extent of God’s covenant faithfulness.

Jesus commits himself to service that involves sacrifice

in times when service feels like sacrifice, we are not alone

Jesus knows very well what he is talking about in this story. Jesus knows the real reason he became incarnate and lived among his people here on earth. Jesus knows that his journey leads ultimately to the cross. And Jesus chooses to not back out of this commitment. Often, our acts of service come with commitment. And sometimes, keeping that commitment takes tremendous effort. That does not mean you and I go intentionally looking for the worst possible acts of service to do. However, it does mean we see an example of service from Jesus which remains committed even when that commitment to service comes with sacrifice. And so, in times when service feels like sacrifice, we are not alone. It is the reminder that service is not about asking what’s in it for me. Rather, service is about asking what I have to give.

We don’t always do this perfectly and we don’t always get this right. Commitments can be difficult for us at times. But these stories from the Bible give us an important reminder in those times as well. Back in Genesis 15, God passes between these slaughtered animals as a way of symbolically declaring, may this happen to me if I should ever break my covenant commitment. God never broke his covenant promise. God has always remained faithful. We are the ones who have broken covenant with God. You and I are the ones who fall apart in our own broken sinfulness. If anyone should suffer the fate of the slaughter depicted in Genesis 15, it should be us.

we are the one to break covenant commitment, but Jesus steps in on our behalf

But that does not happen. It is Jesus who comes and steps in and puts himself into that place on our behalf. God is not the one who should have taken the consequences for sin. Yet, this is exactly the act of service to which Jesus commits himself. Jesus goes to the cross in order to keep the covenant intact. Jesus gives himself over to the penalty for breaking covenant when it should have been us. Now that’s commitment. God makes a commitment to us in his covenant love which not only declares he will keep his end of the covenant, but his commitment goes to the length of taking our end of the commitment upon himself when we have failed.

Jesus flips the script of what it means to be a servant

because of Jesus, there is forgiveness and restoration for us

In this way, Jesus flips the script of what it means to be a servant. Jesus is the one who should be served. Jesus has every right to expect others to serve him. And yet he commits himself to be the one who will serve others. Commitment can sometimes be difficult for us. We do not always get it right. Because of Jesus, there is forgiveness and restoration for us. We have confidence that our efforts and acts of service are always being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. And that is a process. It takes some practice. 

let the Holy Spirit stretch my commitment: one opportunity when I can serve instead of being served

gratitude for how Jesus has served me

I encourage you to look for a moment of practice like that in the coming weeks. Look for an opportunity when you might be able to offer an act of service. But to truly practice this act of service as a response to Jesus, do not make it an act of service that is expected. Do not make it an act of service that is repaying a favor that was done for you. Instead, look for a chance to flip the script just like Jesus does. Find an opportunity in which it is expected that someone else will be serving you, and take that moment to serve them instead. Stretch yourself into a practice of acting not just upon your own commitment to serve, but take up someone else’s expectation to serve upon yourself. Not because of obligation or because I am telling you so, but out of gratitude. Since Jesus steps in to serve us in this way, may my act of service to others be something done with joy and thanksgiving because in this action I acknowledge and declare that this is exactly what Jesus has done for me. Let the Holy Spirit stretch your actions in that direction, and allow God to bless others in that way through the commitment to service that we offer.

allow God to bless others in that way through the commitment to service that we offer