Servants One To Another
Bishop M.A. Tomlinson: Former General Overseer of The Church of God
"For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another" (Galatians 5:13).
The role of a servant is not a desirable one in most cultures. It means the denial of one's own desires in deference to the wishes and well being of another. To be a servant demands total unselfishness. According to Paul, this was Christ's choice when He became a man: "But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant" (Philippians 2:7). No greater condescension was ever made.
In this act our Lord set the example for all who would ally themselves with Him and serve in His Church. To those disciples who envisioned a Messiah who would rule from the throne of David, this was difficult to accept. Serving with Him in His kingdom meant to them positions of power and authority. This was evidenced by the request of James and John be given prominent places in His government. Jesus used the occasion of this request to set forth the difference between His kingdom and the kingdoms of the world.
"But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister [servant], And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant [bond servant]" (Matthew 25:25-27).
Christ's plan for His Church was that it be a nation of servants, each member serving in a particular function according to the Master's pleasure, all of them being subservient to one another. There would be no bosses. leaders would lead by exemplary roles of servitude. In Christ's economy one is not greater than another. Paul wrote, "...in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves" (Philippians 2:3).
A servant should never expect to be esteemed more highly than those he serves. His personal pleasure must not supersede the pleasure of others. His reward lies in the feeling that he has pleased those he serves by serving them faithfully, according to the Word of God.
I his letter to the Church at Rome Paul wrote, "Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself" (Romans 15:2-3). What a noble example!
Christ's leadership ability was unquestioned-these twelve men had forsaken all to follow Him- but His demeanor did not did not conform to the role of a leader to which they were accustomed. Nowhere was this more obvious than on the occasion when He took a basin of water and began to wash their feet. This was such a humble chore (and Peter voiced such strong objections to His doing it)-but not only did Jesus do it, He instructed them to wash one another's feet. By this means they would exemplify their servanthood to one another.
A servant's personal wishes and comforts are secondary to the needs of those whom he serves. And their needs will not always fit within a convenient time frame that will allow his own plans to go interrupted. He must be available whenever he is needed; even then he should not feel that he deserves special honor for being a faithful servant.
"But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, til I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded of him? I trow not. So, likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do" (Luke 17:7-10). Yes, the role of a servant is one of self denial.
Yet, that is precisely wherein it's rewards lie. Self-gratification is not spiritually rewarding to a citizen of Christ's kingdom; it is earthly and carnal. We seem to require an occasional reminder that we are not of this world (cf. John 17:14). Within this new kingdom into which we have been translated we find our fulfillment, not in being ministered to but in ministering.
While living in this earthly domain, surrounded by a world given to self-centeredness, we face the spirit of worldliness which seeks inroads into the Church. This battle against worldliness is a constant one for The Church of God, whose members are in the world but not of the world. Jesus prayed, "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from [it's] evil" (John 17:15). It's evil are those influences which confront Christians daily.
These influences are identifiable by relating them to their sources.They will be related to the nature and character of Jesus or to the nature and character of Satan. Satan fosters self-promotion and self-exaltation. He declared, "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God" (Isaiah 14:13). This spirit was prevailing among the leaders of God's people when Christ made His appearance. The Pharisee's loved " the uppermost seats in the synagogues" (Luke 11:43). Jesus warned, "Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts" (Luke 20:46).
The spirit of Christ, by contrast, is revealed by Paul who wrote, "But made himself no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant" (Philippians 2:7). The nature of Christ is self-abasement; the nature of Satan is self-exaltation. Satan is the prince of this world, and within his domain his nature and character are fostered. Christians must remember that they are not of the world, even as their master is not of the world (cf. John 17:16).
Being a servant to another may be repulsive to worldly-minded people, but not so to those whose citizenship is in heaven. They have found the way to fulfilled living, as was revealed by Jesus. Selfishness, having one's own way, overriding the feelings of others-this may for awhile seem best to the carnal minded person, but he will discover that it fails to satisfy. It's final result will be "vexation of spirit" (Ecclesiastes 2:11).
The way to peace-peace of mind and peace among fellow members of the Body of Christ- is found in the injunction. "...by love serve one another."
(This article was originally published in the December 24, 1988 edition of the White Wing Messenger.)
