2nd Week of Lent
Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant. (Matthew 20:26)
Recently, a group of women began getting together to pray for their college-aged children. Things were going pretty well at the first gathering until one of the women inadvertently shifted the focus. Rather than stating only what she wanted prayer for, this mom added a few sentences about all that her child had accomplished. In their minds, the other women began to compare their children with this woman’s, trying to see who had done the better job of parenting.
Some might say this is a common pitfall of being a parent. Without even realizing it, we can all be tempted to seek attention for our children—or even ourselves—at the expense of other people. That’s why the ambitious mother of James and John might make us uncomfortable. Hearing her try to secure a special position for her sons in God’s kingdom can hit close to home for us.
Jesus’ response is blunt: “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?” (Matthew 20:22). He exposes their mixed motivations and clarifies what greatness in his kingdom really looks like. Authority and position are to be used in service, Jesus explains. And to serve is to seek to love above all.
You are probably in a position of service in some way, in your church, in your workplace, or in your family. This gives you an opportunity to put this principle into practice. As you serve, focus on love. Try to take the focus off yourself, and that will help curb any tendency towards selfishness or self-serving ambition. Love looks at the people we are serving as treasured children of God. It treats them as vessels of the Holy Spirit, worthy of every honor and dignity possible.
The love behind service is the same love that brought Jesus into the world and drove him to the cross. It’s the love that Jesus has for you—a love that he invites you to share with everyone around you.
If you have difficulty loving the people you are serving, ask the Holy Spirit to help you. He will help soften your heart a little bit more, and he will help you find ways to care for these people more selflessly, one step at a time.
“Jesus, teach me to serve your people with your love.”
Jeremiah 18:18-20
Psalm 31:5-6, 14-16
