One day, James and John, two of Jesus’ disciples, came to him and asked for a place of honor in Heaven. It was a lofty request that Jesus denied by explaining that the Father decides who will be where in eternity. When the rest of the disciples heard about this, they began to grumble and get angry at James and John because each of them thought they deserved more honor than the others. Jesus called them all together and told his followers something revolutionary.
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
This idea is truly counter to the grain of men. We don’t look at the servants around us and think of them as truly great. We don’t aspire to wait tables or clean up after others. Still, Jesus taught his disciples that the folks who are great in God’s kingdom are the ones that take the attitude of a slave toward their brothers in Christ. Here’s the catch though. They aren’t just doing it to be great. They have to do it to be like Jesus. Jesus came to die for our sins. He made himself low out of obedience to the Father and and his love for us. This is what his followers are to aspire to be.
I’ve known a few believers who embodied this approach to the family of God, but it is far more rare than it should be. Paul took it further by saying that we should look at others’ needs as more important than our own and even give up our freedom for the sake of brothers who are weaker. We are to look at each other with patience, love, and a servant’s heart. This is a huge deal for believers. Even more so, it is a huge deal for the church right now. We are going through a time of social turmoil. People are angry at their neighbors over all sorts of things. Outrage and bitterness saturate the news, social media, and our conversations with friends. It’s becoming increasingly common to hear people denounce their neighbors over party affiliation, skin color, and even willingness to wear or not wear a mask for Covid.
In the midst of all the vitriol and division, the church has a real opportunity to be something different that is obvious to the world. Really, it’s an opportunity to be what we are supposed to be, which is in huge contrast to the common attitude of our culture. Praying for our enemies, serving folks who hate us, and speaking the truth in love are so different that they are impossible to miss. I have a pastor friend who sometimes engages in political discussion on Facebook. It is challenging to see his posts. Even when folks are calling him stupid (or worse), he is loving and does his best to show grace to people who seem to hate him. This is what the church is called to be. If my brother is afraid of getting sick from Covid or has family members they’re afraid of infecting, I should take their needs on as being more important than mine. In the same vein, if a brother has strong feelings about masks mandates, I should find ways to love him even more. Followers of Jesus should never attack each other (or anyone else) over these things.
The one sin that Paul calls out in his letters more than any other is division within the body of Christ. When it comes to political parties, Covid, or any other matter, believers should strive to follow Paul’s words: “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” I think this is one of the most countercultural things a believer can do in our day and age. “Love one another, for love comes from God.”
