Christ as servant. This is perhaps the marquee display of the humility of Christ. Paul uses Christ’s taking the form of a servant as the quintessential example of humility (Phil 2:3-8). A host of Gospel passages show that service was part of His very identity (Mark 10:42-45; Luke 22:27; John 13:1-16).
The depth of this impulse can be seen in the subtle details of stories like John 5:2-9:
Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids-- blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?" The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Get up, take up your bed, and walk." And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.
Jesus’ impulse to serve was revealed before the man even spoke. It was revealed when Jesus saw the man, recognized the situation, and approached Him.
How many of us, if we are approached and asked for help, will flat out turn someone down? Not many. Maybe on our worst day or if we absolutely had no capacity, we might say no. But for the most part, the average believer will help when asked. It’s not that this isn’t true service, but it’s possible to serve without being a servant.
Jesus' example shows us two things that set apart true servants. First, they have an eye for needs before they are asked for help.
While the Gospels record a plethora of occasions when Jesus served upon request, a story like Mark 5 shows how deeply engrained was His identity as a servant. When He wasn’t being asked for service, He was noticing needs because servants see where service is needed.
If I were to walk through a busy parking lot with a mechanic, the two of us would likely have two very different experiences. I might not be aware of any particular noise at all. He might thinking, “Those brakes are squealing. Pads need to be changed.” “Why haven’t they replaced that belt yet?” “About time for a tune-up.” He would be hearing and seeing things that needed to be done to the cars. Why? He’s a mechanic. It’s what he does.
Similarly, chiropractors see posture problems. Dermatologists see eczema. Carpenters see rooms out of square. They see and hear the things they do because of who they are. Jesus saw needs because He was a servant.
But seeing needs isn’t the only thing that set Jesus apart. Secondly, servants also have hearts to meet those needs.
Jesus saw the man who had been lame for 38 years. However, it’s not like no one else could see him. The pool was surrounded by a multitude of invalids. Anyone who walked by could see them all. V7 implies the belief among many that the only thing each of them needed in order to be healed was to be placed in the pool at a certain time. This man undoubtedly had been seen for 38 years, noticed for almost 4 decades, without anyone moving to help him into the pool on the off chance that it might work.
Jesus not only saw the need, but moved naturally to meet it. The mechanic not only recognizes problems in cars, but is inclined to fix them. The chiropractor wants to correct that subluxation. The dermatologist wants to offer relief. Jesus was a servant so He wanted to serve.
If we see needs, but don’t move to meet them as He did, why don’t we? Simple. We aren’t servants.
But is it a hopeless situation for us? Certainly not. We serve a Savior who makes all things new. If we would cooperate with Him in our transformation into servants, what must we do?
First, we must approach change at the level of our identity. As Jesus did, we must take the form of a servant (Phil 2:7). We must deny ourselves daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23). There are many things true of me, but who am I? A servant of Jesus Christ. We must self-identify as servants of Christ.
Second, we must approach change at the level of our affections. We become like what we love. The desire to become a servant this will come from a growing affection for the Suffering Servant Himself. Daily meditation on the humility and service of Christ in His entire earthly ministry, culminating in the cross, can cause our hearts to swell with love for Him.
Third, we must approach change at the level of our actions. We should recognize that by virtue of our union with Christ, we have freedom to present our members to Him as instruments for righteous service (Rom 6:1-13). Taking seriously the commands to serve one another, we should actively look for opportunities to serve in our homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, and church (John 13:14; Gal 5:13; 1Pet 4:10).
Fourth, we must approach change through the power of prayer. “Lord, help me to love the Servant Lord above all things. Change my heart and my identity. Help me to understand myself to be, at the most fundamental level, your servant, and therefore, and servant of everyone around me. Give me Jesus’ eye for needs and His heart to respond to those needs. Grant me to impulsively ask, ‘What here needs the attention of a slave of Christ?’”
May the spirit of this prayer and the humility of Christ characterize our hearts, our fellowship, and our ministry at Providence Bible Fellowship!
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