To Serve – Not to Be Served
theophilus May 28th, 2008
Today’s gospel has one of the most meaningful passages for me in it.
In Mark 10, Jesus is instructing the apostles after James and John started asking him about sitting at his left and right when he came into his kingdom. While rather bold and brazen of the two of them, Jesus uses the moment to teach the apostles about service.
“[W]hoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
So what is this service we are supposed to give? Sometimes it’s difficult to know. Who are we supposed to serve? When are we supposed to serve? Where are we supposed to serve? How are we supposed to serve? All good questions for those who care about serving others and serving Christ.
I ran across a passage from St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians that might help -
“No man should seek his own interest but rather that of his neighbor. The fact is that whether you eat or drink – whatever you do – you should do all for the glory of God.”
And maybe that passage sums it up – we should always place our neighbor’s interest in front of our own, whether that “neighbor” is our wife, kids, fellow parishoners, those throughout the community, those in a different part of the world. We should always place others before ourselves. And then we will be serving Christ and doing things “all for the glory of God.”
Be a servant today, starting with those whom you love and with whom you work. Christ will take it from there.
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