Being Served or Serving?
Luke 22:19-30
On this Palm Sunday, we are studying Scripture from the last days of Jesus’ earthly life. The first verses of this background passage highlight the desire of the Jewish leaders to get rid of Jesus. They were afraid of his popularity with the people, and they plotted with one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, to betray Jesus.
Preparations were then made for Jesus and His disciples to celebrate Passover together, and it is on the Passover celebration that the focal passage centers. The Passover was a commemoration of God’s deliverance of His people from the tyranny of the Egyptians. The Passover meal included the sacrifice of a lamb – an association with the lamb killed prior to the Jews escape from Egypt. The Passover was a time of celebration and a time of remembrance of how God had delivered His people.
During this Passover meal with His disciples, Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, and indicated that it was something the disciples should continue to do in remembrance of Him. At this point, the disciples still did not realize the sacrifice that Jesus would make of Himself, that He would become the final, all-sufficient sacrifice for them – and for you and me.
Especially in this week approaching Easter, spend time reflecting on what Christ has done for you. Remember. Celebrate. Think about how you can live a life of remembrance – not just during special times like the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. How can your life be a remembrance of Jesus and what He has done for you?
In the middle of the Passover meal, this time of remembrance, the disciples began arguing about which one was the greatest. Jesus turned their ideas of greatness – and the world’s ideas as well – upside down by telling them that the greatest is the one who serves.
Once again, Jesus’ teachings go against everything that the world teaches. Greatness is not determined by possessions or power. It is not to be gained through selfishness or arrogance. Rather, greatness is found in the humble, servant heart. Only when we follow Jesus’ example of servant leadership can we achieve true greatness.
In spite of the weaknesses and failures of the disciples, they had followed Jesus faithfully. Even as He taught them about servant leadership, He tells the disciples that, in His kingdom, they will have the rights and privileges of leaders. This was instruction to them, and to us, that our rewards are in heaven, not necessarily here on earth.
As we examine our lives, we must look for areas where we need to submit to Christ. Living faithfully under His reign, we can look forward to what awaits us in eternity.
Register– Lessons in the BSL series for the winter quarter are being written by Laurie Register, executive director-treasurer of Woman’s Missionary Union, SCBC.