To Serve or be Served

Jesus, who had every right to be served as the Son of God, chose to take on the form of a servant. Phi 2:5-7 says, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant.” Jesus showed that greatness in God’s kingdom comes through serving, not being served.

Jesus washed His disciples’ feet (John 13:1-17), performed miracles to help those in need, and ultimately gave His life for the salvation of humanity. In Matt 20:28, Jesus says, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” If we are to follow Christ, the call is to serve others as He did, even when we have the right or opportunity to be served.

Jesus flipped the world’s understanding of greatness. In Matthew 23:11, He says, “The greatest among you will be your servant.” In God’s kingdom, greatness is not measured by status, power, or how many people serve you, but by how many you serve. Serving others is the path to true significance and honour in the eyes of God.

Service is an act of love and obedience to God’s commands. It is difficult to copy it without heart circumcision. Unfortunately, some individuals who are supposed to serve God’s people may misuse their positions of spiritual authority for personal gain but Christ clearly stated that, it is not so in his kingdom. God speaks against leaders who feed themselves instead of tending to the needs of the people: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.” Ezek 34:2-4. People using godliness as a means for financial gain cannot negates the word of God. The Bible already warned us that in the last days “People of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain… For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” will be prevalent.

It is interesting what led to Christ contrasting his kingdom principle with the world system. Jesus’ disciples, James and John and their mother made a request. They asked Jesus to give them positions of honour and authority when He came into His kingdom—one sitting at His right hand and the other at His left (Mark 10:35-37, Matt 20:20-21). Many of the disciples and Jews of their day, still held the belief that the Messiah’s kingdom would be a political or earthly reign, where Jesus would overthrow Roman rule and establish Israel as a dominant power. They envisioned a kingdom where Jesus would reign as king in a physical sense, and they wanted to secure high-ranking positions in this anticipated earthly government.

Earthly joy often seems tied to being served, receiving recognition, or gaining status. Whether it’s in the form of luxury, power, or comfort, the world often equates happiness with being catered to or achieving personal success. However, this concept of joy is fundamentally different from the joy that Jesus teaches and models in the Bible. People derive happiness from accumulating things and having others attend to their needs, such as in luxury lifestyles. Many find joy in being admired or gaining positions of authority where others serve them. In a consumer-driven society, joy is often linked to satisfying personal desires and ambitions, where others play the role of helping meet these needs. This type of joy is temporary and externally driven. It depends on circumstances, the presence of wealth, status, or the approval of others. It is fragile because when those things are taken away, the sense of happiness can quickly disappear. In fact, the more someone bases their joy on being served or attaining worldly success, the more fleeting and unstable their happiness becomes.

True joy is not found in being served, but in serving others and living a life of humility and love. In John 13:12-17, Jesus washes His disciples’ feet, performing a task that was traditionally done by servants. Afterward, He tells them:”Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you… Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” The word “blessed” here also conveys the idea of happiness or joy. Jesus is saying that joy comes from humbling oneself and serving others, just as He did.

Father, help us to understand and embrace the values of your kingdom, where greatness is measured by service, not by worldly power. Open our eyes to the eternal significance of serving others as a way to honour you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.