A Call to Servanthood

In our last reflection, we explored the topic of biblical hospitality and entertaining.  Today, we are going to dive into the biblical depths of servanthood before beginning our “Journey Through the Bible” series.  The greatest servant that ever was or will be was Yeshua/Jesus, for He was no ordinary servant.  Mark 10:45 (ESV) states, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  This verse articulates that His primary purpose was a two-part mission.  To serve mankind and to save it.  As I began to reflect upon servanthood and this verse, I meditated upon what this means for every believer.  Most people at one time or another have wondered what their purpose is.  Many have struggled with it throughout the course of their life, including myself.  Why is that?  If the Bible is our instruction manual for life, shouldn’t it be quite clear on what our calling and purpose should be?  I pose to you that it is not really our calling that needs to be revealed.  It is our assignment.  Our calling is already rooted in our identity as believers.  It is the standard in which we live by.  It is unchanging and permanent.  It refers to the divine role that our Heavenly Father has established for all His children outlined throughout the scriptures. It is demonstrated through actions, behaviors, and mindsets.  Some of the core elements to our calling are to love God and be in relationship with Him (Matt 22:37-38, 1 Corin 1:9), to love others (Matt 22:39), to be holy and in obedience (1 Pet 14-16), to serve and use our spiritual gifts (1 Corin 12:4-7, James 2:14-17), to be fruitful and have dominion over the Earth (Gen 1:28), to spread The Good News (Rom 10:14, Matt 28:19-20), and to live as Ambassadors for the King of all kings, reflecting His character (2 Corin 5:20, Matt 5:16, Titus 2:7).  The capacity in which we fulfill our calling is our specific assignment.  It refers to the tasks, roles, or missions that God gives each person to fulfill or walk out according to their specific ordained gifts and talents (Eph 2:10, 1 Corin 12:4-6, Rom 12:4-5).  These assignments are often temporary and related to specific seasons or situations in life.  No matter the assignment, Yeshua/Jesus is our example.  Our actions, behaviors, and mindsets should mirror Him.  Then shouldn’t our greatest mission be to serve?

Let’s take a closer look at the word “servant.”  In our modern-day Merriam-Webster Dictionary, servant is defined as “one that performs duties about the person or home of a master or personal employer.”  The concept of a servant can be seen throughout the Bible.  In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word is “eved,” also meaning slave or bondservant.  It denotes a devotion to serving God or others.  Likewise, the word “doulos” is used for the Greek word in the New Testament or “diakonos,” also meaning minister or deacon.  It conveys submission or commitment.  Servanthood in ancient times was often the result of poverty or owing a debt, but the roll of a servant can take many forms.  For example, priestly service (Exo 28:1, Num 4:47), slave labor (Exo 5:6-19, Gal 5:1), farm work (1 Chron 27:26, Ps 104:14), service to earthly kingdoms or governments (2 Chron 12:8, 2 Kings 25:8-12), God’s teachers/ministers/leaders (Ezra 8:16-20, Matt 4:19), daily labor (Ps 104:23, Eccl 5:18), forced labor (Matt 27:32, Proverbs 12:24), sacrificial service (Romans 12:1, Heb 13:16), and laborer for Christ (Eph 6:5-7, 1 Tim 1:12).  When we look at these different forms of service, what are some of the characteristics we immediately see?  We see humility, obedience, selflessness, love, leadership, and stewardship.  As we journey through the bible, I am quite confident that many other attributes of servanthood will begin to reveal itself.  If Yeshua/Jesus is the Living Word, and HE IS, then the heart of service must pour out from the pages, line by line and chapter upon chapter.

When asked “What is the first thing you want to hear your Savior say when you depart from this world and enter the Kingdom of Heaven,” what is the most common response?  “Well done, good and faithful servant.” This is a reference to Matthew 25:21 and 23 in the parable of the five talents (monies).  A parable is an easy-to-understand story to illustrate a point or spiritual lesson by using relatable situations.  Yeshua/Jesus used parables in the bible to convey truths, offer specific guidance, and set expectations for what “following Him or His example” should embody.  In Matthew 25:14-30, we are given the illustration of a master, presumed to be a wealthy businessman, about to take a journey away from home.  He entrusts three of his servants with varying amounts of talents according to his perceived ability for them to steward.  The talent was a significant sum of money understood to be a weight of silver or gold.  Both the servant that was given five talents and the one that was given two talents doubled their talents to give back to their master upon his return.  The master was overjoyed with their accomplishments and proclaimed that they would be entrusted with more.  Crippled by fear and offering excuses, the servant that was given one talent buried his and did nothing to produce a return on investment.  When the master was made aware of this, he was angry.  He stated that the servant should have at least invested the money with the bank to gain interest instead of bearing no fruit at all.  The one talent he had was taken away from him and given to the one who had ten.  So, what is this parable conveying?  There are several scholarly interpretations of this parable.  The most traditional interpretation is that our Heavenly Father entrusts us, His children, with gifts/talents.  They can be spiritual, material, or personal abilities to use and steward for the benefit of the Kingdom.  The crucial question this parable poses is in the absence of our Master Yeshua/Jesus, are we maximizing our gifts/talents in service for the Kingdom while we await His return?  In the case of the failure of the servant with the one talent, it demonstrates a warning and a lesson.  What talents have we been burying?  What fear is causing us to withhold our gift in service for the Kingdom?  Do we really want to have nothing to show for ourselves when our Master returns?  If we want to hear “well done, my good and faithful servant,” we need to eliminate the fears and excuses, while cultivating a mindset of how we can serve daily.  We need to search out the deepest meaning and understanding of what being a good and faithful servant encompasses.  That is what we will set out to do as we meditate upon each chapter of the Bible.  We are called to serve.  The recurring question is, what is our assignment?  These are the things we should routinely ask ourselves, meditate upon and pray for as we read through the scriptures.  Yeshua/Jesus fulfilled His purpose when He was on Earth.  He served many and made a way for the salvation of all.  To continue His work, we are to serve many and bring many to Him.  It is not our job to save.  Matthew 13:47-49 (ESV) states, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad.  So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous.”

What are we waiting for?  We better get to serving.