This
past Sunday marks the beginning of a new year at my church. Newly selected teachers, deacons, and
officers will assume their roles—some of them for the first time ever. In their newness, novices will learn from the
veterans. But some might wonder who’s
greater, the novices or the veterans?
Speaking of newness, also this past Sunday
our church hosted a reception for folks who are new to the church. People had an opportunity to ask questions,
get a grand tour, and learn where they can fit into Sunday School. Many of these have never participated in the
various ministries and jobs in this or any.
Who do you suppose, those who are young to the church or those old-time
members?
As much as we hate to admit it,
there are those who measure the value of their membership by the number of
years since they joined, the number of committees they’ve helped, or the number
of people they supervise. It reminds me
of Luke 22.24, where a dispute arises among Jesus’ disciples as to who is the
greatest. Jesus had twelve disciples,
yet Jesus frequently spent special time with Simon, James, and John. These were the only three that John had given
nicknames to—James and John were the “Sons of Thunder,” and Simon was called “Peter—The
Rock.” Naturally, they wanted to know
which one was the greatest. They wanted
to understand their pecking order.
The term “pecking order” was coined
in the 1920s by biologists who recognized that among chickens, one establishes
dominance over another by pecking. The
dominated one then turns and establishes superiority over another in the same
way—on down the line until the lowliest chicken that has nobody to peck. People are no different. Just like the disciples, folks at church
often wonder who’s the greatest. Is it
the pastor, the deacon chairman, the Sunday school director, the church clerk
or secretary? What’s the pecking
order? Is it the oldest member, or the
person who’s been a member of the church the longest? Is it the newest people with the freshest
ideas? Because we’re human, we all want
to know who’s the greatest.
Jesus contrasted the world’s system
with the way things ought to work among believers. Heathen kings lord it over their
subjects. People in authority call
themselves benefactors. Certainly we
have all known leaders like this: managers, teachers, leaders who govern in an
authoritarian style that makes you feel small and weak, helpless, and beholden. This is not the way of Christ. Instead, Jesus says that “the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader
like one who serves (Luke 22.26b[i]).” In God’s estimation, it’s not the chicken who’s
at the top of the pecking order who’s the greatest. Instead, it’s the least, last, and lowliest
servant who ranks at the top. In verse
27, Jesus says, “For who is greater, the
one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table?
But I am among you as one who serves.” In
other words, for the Christian, service and not smugness is the sign of
significance.
Today I want to encourage you to be
like Jesus—to take His example and become a servant to those around you. Instead of trying to establish yourself in the
pecking order, put yourself last and serve.
This week, many churches in the area where I live are promoting
Operation Inasmuch[ii]
Week—a time to commit random acts of kindness in the community. Not all these good deeds will be completely
random. In fact, some of them will be
very well planned. Some of our area
churches are planning free community car washes, river cleanups, or canned food
drives. If you want to, you could clean
a house for someone who needs assistance, do yard work or cut wood for an
elderly person, write cards and letters of encouragement to people who are
struggling, donate blood, take a meal to a shut-in or a bird feeder to a nursing
home resident, or help a struggling student that you’re not related to with
their homework. You don’t have to join
Operation Inasmuch or get on any other bandwagon in order to serve—all you have
to do is model your life after Jesus.
As you serve, keep in mind that the
Christian’s purpose of serving isn’t to try to be great. For the Christian, service and not smugness
is the sign of significance. It’s not
like you’re saying, “Because I want to be great, I’m going to serve the people
who can gain me influence.” Instead, it’s
about giving of yourself to the people who could never pay you back—not so that
you’ll be great but just so you can demonstrate God’s love. Love should be your motivation—not the
laurels you get from service.
It’s no coincidence that right after
Jesus said these things about humility and exaltation, He says, “Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to
sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you
that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back,
strengthen your brothers (Luke 22.31-32).” The NRSV points out that it’s
not just Simon (The Rock no longer) who will be sifted like wheat—but all the
disciples who will be tested. So every
Christian who serves will also be tested, to determine their motivations and
their dependence on God. Recently I spoke
with someone who has agreed to a position of service in our church. I told him to be careful, because a time of
sifting will come. Yet, we need not fear
the sifting. God doesn’t allow struggles
to come so that we’ll fail. In fact,
Jesus’ prayer is that we will not fail, but that we will use our times of trial
to strengthen ourselves and yet remain humble, so we can turn and strengthen
others. I join in Jesus’ prayer that you may not fail in your testing, in your
service, or in your love. I pray that
God will strengthen you so you can be a blessing—and then, that you may truly
be great.
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