Serve One Another

“But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.”  Mark 10:43-45

When we hear the words, “I was called” or “you are called,” or “he was called,” it begs the question, what does it mean to be called? Most often what comes to mind are images of missionaries in Africa, or sweating servers in soup kitchens, or door-to-door Bible witnesses. While these things are true and good for those who are called to them, the call that goes out to all of us is the call to serve as Christ served us (see chapter 15 of St. Paul’s letter to the Romans.)

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” (Galatians 5:13)

We are not saved by serving, we are saved for serving. Jesus reminds us that He did not come to be served, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 20:28). This is an astounding statement. If anyone should expect to be served, it is Jesus. Yet His life on earth was filled with examples of serving others. And His specific instructions to us follow along with His example. To follow Jesus is to live a life where we are always looking for ways to meet the needs of others through our talents, gifts, and abilities. It is a lifestyle of putting others first, thinking not about ourselves and our own desires, but about what others lack that we can provide.

So often when teaching about service in Christ’s name, Pastors and teachers quote Luke 6:30-36:

30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you. 32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

This is a meaningful quote from Jesus; unfortunately, when it is read, the most notable (and memorable) line is, 35 "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.” Of course this is a true teaching, but getting stuck here obscures the total message,  Do to others as you would have them do to you.

St. Paul tells us, “You were called to be free.” When we are self-focused and defensive, guarding our opinions or preferences against others, service is impossible. You cannot serve God until you’ve been set free from the self by Jesus. He is the prerequisite for serving. Without the freedom of forgiveness, you’ll end up serving for the wrong reasons: trying to earn the approval of others, trying to run away from your pain, trying to remedy your guilt, trying to impress God. Service motivated by these illegitimate reasons is bound to leave you burned out and bitter in the end. Until you experience the transforming power of God’s grace in your life, you’re too enslaved by your own hurts, habits, and hang-ups to think much about others.

God is far more interested in why you serve others than in how well you serve them. He’s always looking at your heart, serving willingly and eagerly out of love for Jesus and gratitude for all he’s done for you. You are most like Jesus when you’re serving others. After washing his disciples’ feet, Jesus said, “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you” (John 13:14–15 NLT). In this way, the call to serve is founded in love. Paul says, “Serve one another in love.” This is an important key to building community: 1 Corinthians 13:3 records, “No matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.” 

When you hear the words call or serve, push down the radical images of far off lands and inner city need; receive them where YOU are. For example, if you are a husband or a wife, you can start with your partner right under your own roof. Strengthen your marriage by serving together, and if you have kids (or grandkids), teach them how to be servants by working alongside them--lead by example.

Jesus formed his ministry around people who had to give something up. For Peter and John, it was their fishing boats and nets. For Matthew, it was his tollbooth. Eventually, all of them surrendered their idea of the Messiah as a conquering king in favor of Jesus, the Suffering Savior. When we hear the stories, it is too easy to focus on the things that were left behind and ignore the inner decision to do so. Christ calls us to serve by deciding to do so. By giving up fear, by forgiving and by relying on Him to lead us in love.

Learning to serve others well is about getting outside ourselves. God has given each of us strengths, gifts, and abilities to use for His glory. And we should be using those to serve others. And through that service you will also be served! Jesus still serves you as you become like the One who serves you! His joy is made manifest in you as you turn to Him. Follow the example of Jesus, answer the call to serve. People in the world need to see what Jesus really looks like. You can show them by serving others.


Serving in the name of Christ,
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Fr. Bill+