SERVE

One day Jesus said to a group of people, “I did not come to be served;  I came to serve.”  (Mark 10:45)

He said it in a situation where it had become evident that He was the only one in the room who had that attitude.  James and John had just brazenly asked Him if they could sit on His left and right when He came into His Kingdom.  

If the attitude of Jesus was, “I didn’t come to be served, but to serve,” everyone else in the room seemed to be saying, “I didn’t come to serve;  I came to be served.”

Moments later, Jesus and His disciples arrive at someone’s home.  The custom of the day was that a house servant would greet them and kneel down to wash their feet, one by one, so the dirt from the bottom of their sandals didn’t track into the home.

It seems in this particular house, no servant was available.  Next in line would have been one of the women.  Apparently all the women had gone to the market.  After that all heads would have turned to the youngest of the party.  It seems the youngest among them averted his face so as not to make eye contact with anyone.

They all knew the foot-washing was expected but no one was willing.  Except for one.

Here were the famous disciples -- all of them interested in either sitting on Jesus’ left or right in His ultimate Kingdom, and yet none of them willing to express the hallmark of Jesus’ ministry - to serve.

Jesus got up quietly, took off His outer garment, wrapped Himself in a towel, and one-by-one knelt to wash their feet  

The message of the Gospel is not:  Come to Jesus and Jesus will meet all your needs.

The message is not:  Come to God and God will solve every problem.

The message is not:  Give your life to Christ and everything will be wonderful thereafter.

The message is simply that God is giving you the incredible privilege of turning from your personal idols and submitting your life to Him — in order that you might find fulfillment in becoming a servant of the Living God.