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Written by Alessandra Cardoso, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Sergipe, Brazil
When we stop to think the only begotten Son of God, who came into the world in human form, dedicated His entire ministry to healing, saving, and loving the people around Him, we realize His greatness. He, who is the heir of God the Father, renounced His glory to be among us. With humility and love, He fed hungry people, cured the sick, and healed the hearts of many, including those needing spiritual health.
Nowadays it is difficult for us to understand such gestures of care and service when we look at them from our earthly perspective, but Jesus' greatest purpose on Earth was this: “…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28 NIV). Before delving deeper into this verse, I would like to define what the verb serve means: to work in favor of (someone, an institution, an idea, etc.).
Serving is a job, providing a service to something and/or someone, and may receive something in return (like a salary, for example) or simply be a voluntary act. In either case, serving is action. When examining the gospels, we observe Jesus Christ's attitude toward humanity; we see a lovable, docile, kind, compassionate, humble, and merciful man. However, when focusing within the gospels on the three years of His messianic ministry, we see that He proves His divine essence in the form of love and service.
There are countless ways to serve each other in the church of Christ— both our brothers and sisters in the church and those outside. We can actively participate in the congregation’s ministries (children, couples, benevolence, etc.), but we also have the opportunity to take part in the details that are not seen by the majority (preparing the Lord’s Supper, cleaning the building, maintenance, etc.), and we must serve with our wisdom, personal/professional experience, and advice. As Christian women, the range of services is diverse and each one can identify which one fits them best.
If we were to look for a source of inspiration and direction to follow, there is a perfect example of a SERVANT Jesus Christ, our Lord and Master (and by Lord, I mean that we are His slaves— He bought us at a high price). The interesting fact here is: our Lord is owner of the entire universe, Son of God, and our Savior. He became a servant in order to rescue and save many— to be an example for us to follow—because the disciple imitates his master. Therefore, if Christ submitted Himself to servitude willingly out of love for humanity, how can we, His disciples and slaves, not want to follow in His footsteps?
If we reflect deeply on our Christian duties, service is something indispensable for Christians. When done with sincerity and willingness, it has the potential to nourish our Spirit, strengthen interpersonal relationships, and improve our skills. Notably, it is also a huge gesture of love, obedience, and submission to God. When I think about service, I believe that the central point is LOVE, because if I am full of love in my heart, serving is not a burden, but rather a beautiful reflection of what we have within us: the overpowering light of Jesus Christ. Serving is loving. Whoever is full of love to give will certainly serve others with joy. Thinking further, all of this is the result of the fruit of the Spirit being developed and polished within each of us, day by day. It is the mission that Jesus left for us. It is and has always been His desire that serving was more important than being served. It denotes humility and subjection.
A beautiful example of how Jesus demonstrated that He came to serve and not be served is found in John 13:12-14 when Jesus washed the feet of His apostles. He teaches us about His character and, most importantly, gives us the precious lesson about humility connected to service. We often aim for big and flashy things in the church. However, as written in Mark 10:43, our goal should not be to have recognition and prestige— our goal is to simply be faithful servants of Christ Jesus!
I know in our Christian journey, we will have barriers to developing this service within the church. It will not always be the easiest or most fun thing to do. However, I want to encourage you to try. Start with something small and simple, and you can master easily. Remember that serving is: loving, imitating, and glorifying Jesus.
May we be servants of Christ. Amen!
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Written by Kara Benson, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Alabama
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. (2Co 1:3-4 NIV)
The Creator of the entire universe is described as the “Father of Compassion”; how beautiful and comforting! However, what exactly is compassion? In Hebrews 1:3a, we read that “the Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” Therefore, we can examine the life of Jesus to understand the nature of compassion.
In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus travels through towns and villages, “teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness” (Mt 9:35). Jesus had compassion on the people He saw. He healed a leprous man (Mt 8:3), two blind men (Mt 20:29-33), sick members of a large crowd (Mt 14:14), and provided food for 4,000 hungry people (Mt 15:32). In the account of Jesus healing the two blind men, some versions say that Jesus was moved with compassion. When Jesus felt sympathy for others, He did something about it. From Jesus, we learn that compassion implies action.
As disciples of Christ, we are called to follow in His footsteps (Mk 8:34-35). We are to willingly lay aside our sin and self-absorption in the pursuit of Christ, following His example of being moved with compassion. Jesus declares, “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me” (Jn 12:26). According to the picture painted in scripture, compassion is clearly a central part of our commitment to serving Christ; it is even the basis for the separation of the sheep and goats on judgment day. Carefully consider this critical scene:
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (Mt 25:31-36)
Subsequent verses explain that when we show compassion by fulfilling the needs of the least of Jesus’ followers, we are effectively serving Jesus himself. Let us contemplate the eternal value of exhibiting compassion.
The apostle Paul writes,
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Col 3:12-14)
How can we show compassion by our actions?
- Volunteer at a pantry
- Drive someone to their doctor’s appointment
- Prepare food for someone who is sick, grieving, or a new mother
- Fervently pray for someone throughout the day
- Provide a listening ear for someone who needs comfort
- Help someone pack, unpack, or clean their house
- Humbly address unrepentant sin in a sister’s life that is endangering her soul
- Visit someone in the hospital, recovering at home, or lonely
- Forgive someone. Scripture frequently presents compassion and forgiveness together, indicating a connection between the two. As Ephesians 4:32 instructs, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
A hard-working sister in our congregation is a good example of a compassionate Christian. She invited me to volunteer alongside her at a food pantry, woke up hours before sunrise to take me to an outpatient procedure, teaches children’s Bible classes, and regularly helps aging and disabled church members who need assistance. She can almost always be found doing something for someone. Her compassion reminds me of my favorite verse: “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them” (Heb 6:10).
Compassion implies action. How can you show compassion today?