The other day my dog rang the bell on our deck door. We taught him to do that as a way of letting us know when he wanted to go outside. It suddenly struck me as being really funny. I felt like the butler being called. The realization then hit me that God always gives us the opportunity to live out His teachings. Having to humbly serve a dog did just that.
We are called to love our neighbor just as we love God. One way we can live this out is by doing for the very least of our brothers because we know we are then doing it for God as well. It goes in line with being taught that in modeling Jesus, we must keep in mind that He came to serve, not to be served. We must live that out. It is a sacrificial life of putting others before us. It requires those “above” to be humble and serve. It does not require those “below” to be filled with pride and demand to be served or raised, however. They remain humble while served. These two positions help us to recognize that we are all called to be on an even playing field. When we remain faithful to God in the small things, He will answer our desires and raise us up when it is our time to move from the humble served to the humble servant. Yes. When our desires are answered and we are raised up, we must recognize that it comes with an attitude of servanthood. This is far different than that of the secular world that demands to be raised and then lords it over others causing division. The Christian attitude fully lived will always level the playing field. We are all equal before God and when we humbly serve with love those who are humble and in need of service we are reminded of our equality before God. This humility lived when we are raised up in position always maintains equality instead of division. We are mindful of whence we came and the unity of love for each other flourishes.
It doesn’t always play itself out this way in society. We are led to focus on what makes us different, judge and then get angry about it. We are different politically and religiously. We are different by our gender, ethnicity and race. We are led to believe we must all think the same way and we will go to great lengths to protect our position in life so we don’t drop lower in the eyes of others and be judged by those who hold different positions. Our many differences are seldom celebrated and seen as a beautiful and creative means of God making us different so that when we are united we are one complete and whole community known as the Body of Christ. Instead we are falsely led to believe that being united means we must be alike, be angry about any kind of recognized difference and refuse to celebrate those differences that are given to us for the glory of God. We act like God could only create flowers and animals to be different and we end up living in a world of division and chaos where Satan is the author who tries to destroy all that God creates.
As we are in Holy Week we are reminded that Jesus came and died so we might be one, but we jump at the words expressed by those who are used to divide. Stories of unity are seldom told. We easily vilify our neighbors before entire stories are told and gifts and talents are never lifted up. Unity and love of neighbor is forgotten and we fall into the trap of believing judgment is somehow righteous. We no longer know how to separate the act from the neighbor we are called to love. We can easily become blinded and let hatred be our compass.
We may be small in this world. We may have little influence, but it isn’t the powerful influencers that inherit the earth. It’s the meek. The meek have an easier time sitting back to take a pause to control pride, resentment and hatred. They can more easily see truth and as part of that they can discern what will cause love and unity and what will cause hatred and division. If everyone took this path in life, if they searched for unity within their circle through love and service, we would find a more peaceful world. We can make the choice not to let the fire of division and hatred overcome us. A house divided falls apart, but by being meek in our small circles, we could connect with other circles and the meek could overcome evil and inherit the earth with God as the head.
We may say we could never make a difference. We are far too small. But it is that very attitude that causes everyone to quit before they even start. Each small step every day can be in time a way to lead the world to one where we love our neighbor, serve them and find the equal playing field of love and unity by it. It doesn’t take a great effort just a great awareness of who is trying to lead us. God or the enemy. Do you want to be an instrument of love or do you want to jump on the latest bandwagon meant to make you an instrument of division? Do you want to view our differences as making us more completely one unit known as the Body of Christ or do you want to be like the Scarecrow whose parts were scattered preventing him from being able to do much of anything?
Holy Week is the perfect time to evaluate if we are loving our neighbor and living a life that encourages the unity that Jesus desired and died for or if we are being used by the pharaohs of the world to divide.
Prayerfully reflect on the following:
Jesus meant for us to be one.
“I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you and me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me.” John 17:22-23
We are called to love God and neighbor.
“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”Matthew 22:37-40.
We are called to serve, not lord our position over others and by hat highlight division.
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20 25–28.
The desire for position can be powerful, but it is God who raises us up.
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.” Luke 16:10 AND “For God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work.”Philippians 2:13
We can overcome the darkness of the world.
“Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5