Prepared for Death: Humble Servanthood

I had been asking Yahweh to reveal what to share with you. Recently, several themes have emerged in my life and those around me, but I didn’t have confirmation on one. It took an afternoon walk in the woods and preparation for my 3-year-old Sunday school class for the affirmation I needed. Right there in my little flock’s lesson was one of the themes I had written, so I determined this was the direction the Lord would have me go. I got another nudge and my title from a man I would see from time to time on my walking path; I had happened upon him that day again. This time, I stopped to speak with him a little longer, and he told me he used to work in mortuaries. He told me that he prepared people for death. Prepared people for death. That stood out to me, and as I considered the theme of humble servanthood, I thought that in many ways that is what is required of us – our death. Death of our being right. Death of our being recognized or acknowledged as we desire. Death of having access to something we think we ought to. And death of having a say or having our way. When we choose humble servanthood, we die to even our rights. Ones that laws, statutes, and roles afford us and ones we perceive are owed to us. 

So, what does a humble servant look like?

Well, certainly the opposite of the sons of Zebedee. Let’s take a look at the example they give us and the one the Lord shows us instead:

Beginning at Mark 10:35, it reads: “Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask (the KJV says, whatsoever we shall desire).” And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.” So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.” And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles Lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”” (Mark 10:35-45 NKJV)

The sons of Zebedee wanted an honored and exalted position, but Jesus called them and us to desire one of low status – that of a servant. He called us to humility.

In the Blue Letter Bible, the word for humility is tapeinoo. It means:

1.    To make low, bring low

a.    To level, reduce to a plain (I thought about how plains are flat and how that mirrors a prostrate position before the Lord.)

b.    Metaph. To bring into a humble condition; reduce to meaner (or inferior) circumstances

                                     i.     To assign a lower rank or place to

  ii.     To abase (to reduce or lower, as in rank, office, reputation, or estimation; its synonyms are belittle, debase, dishonor, and humiliate)

                                   iii.     To be ranked below others who are honored or rewarded

                                   iv.     To humble or abase myself by humble living

c.     To lower, depress

                                     i.     Of one’s soul bring down one’s pride

                                    ii.     To have a modest opinion of one’s self

                                   iii.     To behave in an unassuming manner

                                   iv.     Devoid of all haughtiness

And what does it mean to be a servant?

I love the language chosen in the KJV to describe what is being asked of us. Mark 10:43b-45 reads, “[B]ut whosoever will be great among you shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Depending on the rendering, we are called to be servants or ministers. The Greek word for this is diakonos. It means:

1.    One who executes the commands of another, esp. of a master; a servant, attendant, minister

a.    The servant of a king

b.    A deacon, one who, by virtue of the office assigned to him by the church, cares for the poor and has charge of and distributes the money collected for their use

c.     A waiter, one who serves food and drink

To respond to the needs of another with the heart of a servant, one needs humility. Such service and posture don’t always feel fair. And it isn’t always fair. But it isn’t required to be. Nor does a humble heart demand it to. It chooses lowliness for the sake of another. For the sake of a higher purpose or mission. It subjects itself to the death of its own desire so that another will can live. It waits and waits upon. It accepts a lower position or does not demand it be given the rights of the position held.

The Lord is challenging me to walk in humble servanthood in this season. And what a privilege it is to be pruned into a better image bearer of my King.

Reflection

In what ways is the Lord calling you to humble servanthood or has He in the past? 

How are you being challenged by this? What rights do you feel you must give up to answer this call?