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This week we continue our discussion of chapter 22 of Luke’s Gospel. Please read verses 14-30 every day this week and, if possible, use a different translation each day, asking God to open your eyes to fresh revelation from His Word.
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Luke 22:24-30 (The Message)
‘Within minutes they were bickering over who of them would end up the greatest. But Jesus intervened: “Kings like to throw their weight around and people in authority like to give themselves fancy titles. It’s not going to be that way with you. Let the senior among you become like the junior; let the leader act the part of the servant. “Who would you rather be: the one who eats the dinner or the one who serves the dinner? You’d rather eat and be served, right? But I’ve taken my place among you as the one who serves. And you’ve stuck with me through thick and thin. Now I confer on you the royal authority my Father conferred on me so you can eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and be strengthened as you take up responsibilities among the congregations of God’s people.’
As I work in Cardiff Bay, I have the choice as to whether spend a long period of time stuck in traffic on the busy roads or to take the train. I drove for many years and realised that my patience was getting less and less with each passing year. So, I finally decided to ditch the car almost completely and jump aboard the trains to Cardiff. The service has definitely improved overall but there are still times when signal problems or train failures result in delayed or cancelled services.
Once a cancellation has taken place, there are literally hundreds of people standing on the platform desperate to get on the next train home. It is at those times when the worst of human nature comes to the fore. Some of the people have only a short ride home and can take any number of trains that are likely to arrive within a few minutes. However, that makes no difference because as soon as one train arrives, everyone behaves as if this is the last train leaving the station and anyone left behind is going to die on the spot. I have seen both men and women literally barging children out of the way just to get a foothold in the doorway of the train. I have heard people screaming at the top of their voice for people to get out of their way as they grapple with their fellow travellers in pursuit of a space in the carriage. At those times, everyone is only interested in themselves and their own ends.
On this Good Friday, Jesus, in these verses is telling us in words what He is shortly going to demonstrate by His actions. He says “I’ve taken my place among you as the one who serves.” Jesus is not battling with anyone to get His own way. He’s not interested in His own well-being above that of anyone else. He’s placing His own desires below those of everyone else. In today’s society, we’d be tempted to say that He is being trodden on and that we’re not meant to be anyone’s footstool. In a remarkable turnaround to culture, He is telling us all that the only thing that really matters in this world is that we learn how to serve. Our Saviour is instructing us to culture an attitude of service and a willingness to lay aside our own desires.
You see, it’s only when we are truly servants that can God trust us to be rulers. He has given us authority but that authority is to be used through a heart of service. As Jesus was being betrayed, disowned, beaten and crucified, His heart was full of forgiveness. Right up until His final breath, He was breathing out grace upon grace. As we consider His death and celebrate His resurrection this weekend, my prayer is that we make every effort to be like Jesus. Let us learn how to truly serve.
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