Be humble and be a servant
Contents
Be humble and serve
Text: Matthew 23: 11-12
“Whoever is greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
“The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and humility precedes honor” (Proverbs 15:33).
Water takes many forms: clouds, snow, rain, seas, rivers, and lakes. This means that it changes according to the container or shape in which it is contained, not according to one's own opinion or one's own opinion. This attitude can be said to be the will to forsake oneself and conform to the Lord's providence, the Lord's will, and become like the Lord. And water has a humble appearance. It always flows low and floats anything above itself, that is, above the water. However, when it becomes ice instead of water, it is completely different. It is hard and sharp, has to be placed in a larger bowl than it is, and is bruised and has a definite shape. It is only the fire of the Holy Spirit that can melt the ice, the lump of pride and selfishness. Therefore, unless you are born again of water and the Spirit, you cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:5).
“The pride of a man’s heart is the beginning of destruction, but humility before honor” (Proverbs 18:12).
There was a young man who injured his leg while serving in World War I. He wanted to become a monk, but he could not become a monk due to lack of education. Still, he could not give up his lust for a monk, and after begging, he entered the monastery as a cook. Although he was a cook and not a monk, he thanked God. He worked hard in the kitchen to cook for the monks while they were studying and practicing hard.
Years passed and the chef who had been cooking in the kitchen became the head of the monastery. How could he, who could not become a monk, become the head of the monastery? He destroyed all his theories and took every proud thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). He lived a life of prayer without ceasing. When he went to the market, he prayed, “Lord, make good food cheap so that the monks can eat well.” As he washed the dishes, he said, “Lord, as I wash and clean dishes, so my heart and soul and Please wash my body clean,” he prayed. Even while lighting a fire, he prayed, “Lord, let the fire of the Holy Spirit burn in my heart like this.”
“When a man is proud he will be humbled, but if he is humble in heart he will find honor” (Proverbs 29:23).
There was a famous pianist named Gerald Moore. He never had a solo stage in his life, only accompanied by famous singers. It may be dozens or hundreds of times, but he has always been concerned that his accompaniment would not affect the songs of famous singers in a large audience. And I regretted that there was a time when I suppressed the voices of singers with my own piano sound.
There was a concert specially prepared for this great accompanist. Even in this concert, he did not forget that he was still an accompanist to the songs of famous singers. He may not be a famous pianist, but he is undoubtedly a great accompanist. Suddenly I remember John the Baptist who said, “He must increase, and I must decrease” (John 3:30). It also reminds me of Prince Jonathan, who said to his friend David, “My father Saul knows that you will be king of Israel, and I will be next to you” (1 Samuel 23:17).
These are all people who humble themselves to build others up rather than live for their own honor or prestige.
When there are many such people, the community they belong to becomes the kingdom of God. Therefore, the church as well as society need such people. How am I working now? Am I just doing it for my satisfaction or my honor?
The Bible says, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Although Jesus was the King of kings, he humbly rode on a donkey, obeyed God, and humbled himself to death on a cross. We should imitate the humility of the Lord and humble ourselves and become servants of one another.
“In the same way, young men, be obedient to the elders, and all gird yourselves with humility toward one another. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, for in due time he will exalt you” (1 Peter 5). :5-6)
There was a man who owned a fruit shop. Members of nearby churches often came to evangelize. This man, who had no heart to believe in Jesus at all, was considered a nuisance. However, this person came and preached and bought fruits, but contrary to other people, he bought only the smallest thing, which was difficult to sell because it had scratches. Another customer came and bought the same small and scratched one as he did. So, without realizing it, "Are you also a member of that church?" I had to ask. Seeing him smiling and nodding his head, he said that from the next week, he began to visit the church on his own feet. Isn't this what true service looks like? Serving is something you can do sincerely when you voluntarily lose money and try to be a fool. The most important word in Christ's teaching is to love and serve one another. We must take the lead in difficult and difficult work and serve our weak members.
“Everyone went back to their hometown to register, and Joseph was also of the house of David, so he went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee toward Judea to the town of David called Bethlehem to register with her betrothed Mary, and Mary was already pregnant. When the day for childbirth was fulfilled, she gave birth to her firstborn son, wrapped in cloths and laid in a manger, because there was no room in the inn. The angel said, "Do not be afraid. Behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will come to all the people. Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you, Christ the Lord. Go and wrap yourself in cloths. This will be a sign for you, to see a baby lying in a manger.” Suddenly, a multitude of heavenly hosts together with the angels sang praises to God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom God is pleased” (Luke). 2: 3- 14)
The Advent we are having means 'to come, to wait'. It is a season to give thanks for the birth of Christ (the first coming) and to look forward to his coming again (the second coming). Advent deepens my inner calm and joy, reminding me that the awaiting One is already here and speaking in the stillness of my heart. Just as a mother feels a baby in her womb and accepts a baby she knows well on the day of birth with joy, Jesus is also born slowly in our lives and can be received as a familiar person while waiting.
Advent has the meaning of welcoming and welcoming our Lord Jesus Christ with joy. It is a period of preparation and waiting for Christmas, just as the ancient Israelites waited and hoped for the coming of the Messiah. It also has the meaning of purifying the body and mind of believers in order to welcome the Lord at the Second Coming. In other words, in order to welcome the Lord who will come again, we humbly examine our hearts and prepare the Lord's place in our hearts through repentance and obedience.
The Lord was born in a manger in a cage of animals. God is the God of the orphans and widows, the God of the poor and the weak, to teach us to humble ourselves and be servants, and to set an example of obedience so that we may humble ourselves and glorify God by serving.
“Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as robbery, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human form, and being found in human form, humbled him and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. and every tongue confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:5-11).
As these words say, God's way is the way of being humbled and weakened. The great news of the gospel is that God became small, humbled and weak, and bore fruit among us. The most fruitful life in history is the life of Jesus. He did not cling to his divine powers and became like us. He came as a feeble child, and he came to the place of the beast's rice bowl and manger.
Our salvation is obtained in this extreme lowliness and weakness. The fruit of this lowly, weak, and poor existence is the eternal life that is given to all who believe. It is very difficult for us to understand even the slightest bit of the mystery of God's weakness. But if we have eyes to see and ears to hear, we can see it in many places and in many shapes. You can see it in the birth of a baby, the innocent smile of the poor, and the warm affection of the sick and the disabled. You can see it whenever people ask for forgiveness and reconcile. God hid in the low places and became the God of the almost invisible manger.
The Lord also said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest” (Matthew 11:29). We too should imitate the heart of Jesus and humble ourselves and become servants.
* Prayer: Lord, who showed us the way of serving, help me to imitate you, who humbled myself and lived a life of service. Help me to know the truth of becoming great through service. In whatever we do, only your name may be exalted. And remember the Lord's words that those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Arm me with humility so that I can put away pride and self-will, and clothe me with kindness, humility and gentleness so that those who live with me and meet me may enjoy peace of mind and joy. Come into our hearts, O Lord, who came to the stable and came down to the low places. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear. May I live in you forever. I pray in the name of the living Jesus, who was obedient to the point of death. Amen.
* Meditation:
0 Am I humble before God and men?
0 Write down in detail the blessings you have received from serving God.