Service
What do you think of when you think of service?
Perhaps old images of service – where the poor were VERY poor…
When even servants were effectively slaves and had to work a certain number of years to gain their freedom.
Perhaps your view of service is a much more modern perspective – services such as hair salons, restaurants or customer service centers.
Biblical Service
What did the Bible writers have in mind when they spoke of Service?
Service, in the Bible, was normally something done by a slave; tasks performed by ‘lesser’ persons for those who controlled their existence.
Service with regard to God usually concerned temple worship and its rituals (e.g., Exodus 31:10; 35:19; Luke 1:23), but service to humans often involved forms of bondage (e.g. Genesis 30:26; Exodus 1:14).
For Paul, the service a person owed God was to be displayed through service to one’s neighbor, which constituted service to Christ (Rom. 12:1–2; 14:17–18; Gal. 5:13; see also 1 Cor. 9:19; 2 Cor. 4:5).
This means that the service given, was not conditional, it was to be a freely given service – without expectation.
An Example of Selfless Service
For context: this is a short clip about a military Captain who was performing security duty for political leaders who were attending a meeting in Afghanistan.
A very dangerous place to go – then and now.
Jesus – Serving Others
Before we look at what Jesus said on the topic, did you catch what Simon Sinek said:
- Military – we give medals to people willing to sacrifice themselves so that others may gain.
- Business – we give bonuses to people who are willing to sacrifice others so that we may gain.
Do we understand what he is saying there?
And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:42-45
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Matthew 25:35-40
“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”
Romans 12:10
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.”
1 Peter 4:10-11
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:45
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
Galatians 5:13
“Rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.”
Ephesians 6:7-8
And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:15
Did Jesus teach passivism?
So, the message is clear – serve one another and serve as an example to others.
Does this mean that others should walk all over us? Should we be a doormat?
Is there any evidence that Jesus was a pushover?
Turn the other cheek
But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
Matthew 5:39-42
In Jesus’ time, “to be struck on the right cheek was to be given a hostile, back-handed insult” with the back of the right hand. In that culture, it was forbidden to touch or strike anyone with the left hand; the left hand was for dirty things.
To turn the other cheek was to surprise the insulter, saying, nonviolently, “you are treating me as an unequal, but I need to be treated as an equal.” Jesus is saying: if you are slapped on the cheek of inferiority, turn the cheek of equal dignity.
The second example relates to the experience of indebtedness in loan collection proceedings in court: “If anyone wants to sue you and take your coat” (Mt 5:40).
A poor person had to pledge their cloak which must be returned by night to keep that person warm (Deut 24:10–13).
Jesus’ response: “Give your cloak as well” is astonishing, for handing over one’s outer and inner garments meant being naked in court.
Standing naked, dishonors the creditor, exposes the greed of his action and bringing shame to him in court.
Roman society had rules and limits as to what could be done – to prevent rising up and revolt from the occupied people against the ruling Romans.
Similarly, Soldiers of the Roman Army, had the legal right to force any subject of an occupied territory to carry their heavy packs and gear for them.
However, the legal limit was 1,000 paces — that is, one Roman mile (approximately half a mile today).
To offer to go the extra mile was to put them in a position where they were breaking the law and you gained the upper hand.
To maintain order across the vast Roman empire, there were limits to how you could treat non-Roman citizens or soldiers. If these rules were not followed, the people could revolt – and given how few Romans there were to subjects, they absolutely did not want this to happen.
The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
John 2:13–17
So we know that Jesus was not a passivist – which means he was not a doormat, and neither should we be.
Leading and Serving
Servants are Leaders, Leaders are Servants
Contract Thinking
We have discussed contract thinking and covenant thinking, and the differences between the two.
When might this be appropriate?
Contracts
There are many situations in the world when contracts are necessary. We are unable to simply trust the other party to do the right or honorable thing, so we need a contract to ensure that their obligations are met.
For example, a work contract, a contract to buy a house, a contract for building a garage, etc.
Contracts can help to ensure that we are not taken advantage of and there are legal protections in place.
Covenant Thinking
This is the ideal. This is the relationship between God and His people.
When will earthly covenants fail?
A key feature of being in Covenant is that we are not acting selfishly…
Selfish actions are not Covenant actions…
Selfish actions are not Christ-like actions…
Selfish actions are ego-driven and take us away from Covenant relationships.
What does this mean for us?
Jesus: Whoever would be great must be your servant
Peter: serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms
- How we treat those closest to us is the best reflection of who we are in Christ – are you the “because they would have done it for me” person?
- With that said, I do not believe that we are called to be doormats
Outside the Body – “And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.”
Matthew 10:14
Inside the Body – “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector
Matthew 18:15-17
There are no simple rules to apply, no easy answers…
If in doubt, serve.
If Covenant is not appropriate, then something else will need to be put in place.
And in all things – Pray!
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