Aim to practice servanthood

By Dean Collins

We often forget that we have so much more information regarding the biblical narrative of scripture than those who heard directly from Moses, the prophets, or even Jesus. There is value in reading through scripture book by book, but sometimes we miss that within a chapter, and certainly within a book, the people in the narrative don’t have the same information we have.

 For instance, when we read the story of David and Goliath, we see a much broader view than David or Goliath had in the given moment. We already know the outcome. We know that David later becomes king. What we know can be helpful to understanding the whole of scripture. 

 In reading the first few verses of Matthew 23, I started thinking about the group that heard Jesus deliver this short lesson that was probably more shocking to the listener on that day than it is to us now. Matthew tells us in the first verse that Jesus gave this lesson to the crowds and to his disciples. We know the group referred to as his disciples, but we don’t really know who was in the crowd that day. I think it probably does not include many, if any, of the scribes and Pharisees.  

 A couple of Bible professors at Point University and I were discussing this chapter in Matthew, and they pointed out that Jesus used the third person pronoun of ‘they’ when he referred to the scribes and Pharisees in the first 12 verses and then switched to first person in verse 13. I imagine that maybe Jesus was teaching somewhere in the temple courtyard to a crowd, and as he continued, or maybe as a few Pharisees heard Jesus say, “scribes and Pharisees,” they perked up and walked over to hear what he said.

 The content of this teaching from Jesus was that followers of Jesus were to listen and obey the teachings of the scribes and Pharisees, but they were not to behave in the same manner as their religious authorities. Jesus was very specific in his instructions: “For they preach, but do not practice.” 

 Imagine that I sent a well-educated Bible scholar to speak at your Bible study group or to preach at your church on Sunday, and they told you that you should listen and follow what the pastor says but don’t do what he does outside of the pulpit! My guess is you would have a few questions and concerns about your pastor!

 The scribes and Pharisees knew the details of the law and the prophets, and they were very granular in following many aspects of the law. However, they were quite selective in what teachings of scripture they practiced and which teachings they preferred to ignore. When Jesus later spoke to the scribes and Pharisees, he gave several examples of their inconsistency and pride.

 What does Jesus say to us in this text? A focus on verses 11 and 12 tell us where we need to focus. Consider these words from Jesus:

 “The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

 Maybe the following questions might help us do self-evaluation:

 1) Am I consistent when expressing kindness and mercy to those around me, even when no one is aware that I am being kind or merciful?

2) Do I need recognition for my financial contributions to the church or to other nonprofit ministries?

3) Do I demand that the church or nonprofits I support do everything the way I want them to in order for me to give?

4) Do I seek or need titles and promotions to prove that I am growing personally and professionally?

5) Am I drawn to leaders who self-promote or leaders who humbly serve?

 On the day Jesus spoke to the disciples and the crowd, I suspect that they were startled by his condemnation of some who had religious authority. But I also suspect that the Spirit of God brought conviction to those in the audience concerning their pride as well.  

 Just two chapters later Jesus would be very direct in his teaching about serving the hungry, the sick, the poor, the prisoner, the naked, and the thirsty. May the Spirit of God move on us today in ways that bring us to repent of our pride and to focus on our service to everyone in our path, especially to those who live in scarcity and fear.

 Father, forgive us when we get caught up in the systems and messages of the world that promote greed and status and fail to show compassion for everyone in your creation. We ask that your Holy Spirit leads us to not simply admire servanthood but to practice it today and every day. Thank you for the gift of scripture where we can learn more about Jesus and how to follow him. Now, give us the courage to follow him whatever the cost. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 Your Time with God’s Word
Matthew 23:1-12 ESV

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
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