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Scripture Reading: Mark 10:45; Luke 22:26-27; 12:37
The three passages we have just read help us see how Christ served us in the past, still serves us in the present, and is going to serve us in the future.
Let us consider the first passage: "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). This verse mentions that the Son of Man came to serve everybody. Whoever comes to the Lord, the Lord always serves them. The Lord feeds the hungry; He heals the sick ones. Without regard to the time and place, the Lord always serves us. The highest service of the Lord was giving His life as a ransom for many. He gave His life to serve man. So many times, we are so eager to serve the Lord that we ignore the fact that our Lord went to the cross and gave His life to serve us. While we were yet sinners, He served us.
Let us consider the second passage: "But you shall not be so; but let the greatest among you become like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who reclines at table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am in your midst as the one who serves" (Luke 22:26-27). The book of Mark concerns Christ serving the sinners. Here it concerns Christ serving His disciples. "I am in your midst as the one who serves." We should remember that the Lord is among us to serve us. This is grace!
The bread before us at the Lord's table clearly demonstrates how Christ has served us. His body was broken for all of us. The meaning of salvation is that Christ serves us first, and then we serve Him. His serving does not end with the cross. Even now He is among us to continue His service. Whenever we have a need, we ought to come to the Lord and let Him serve us.
Once, the Lord sent the multitude away and departed to the mountains to pray. The disciples were on the boat, and the wind was against them. They had been straining at the oar until about the fourth watch of the night. It was very dark and the disciples fell asleep. This was the time when we want to sleep the most. At that time the Lord came to help them. The disciples thought that the Lord was a ghost. They were so frightened that they cried out, but immediately the Lord spoke to them, "It is I. Do not be afraid" (Mark 6:45-51). The Lord might have said to them, "It is your Lord," or, "It is the Son of God." Instead, He said, "It is I." What is meant by this? Suppose someone knocks at the door, and the host of the house responds with: "Who is it?" If the knocking one answers, "It is I," we can be assured that the host must be familiar with the one who knocks at the door because the host can distinguish the voice of "I." The Lord came to help the disciples with such a dear and intimate voice. Since this is the case, we should enjoy the Lord's serving us even more!
The Lord did not have to pay any temple tax. Even if he had to pay, half a stater would have been adequate. But the Lord was so concerned for Peter that He sent Peter to the sea to fish. When the fish was taken up, Peter opened its mouth and found a stater, which was enough to pay Peter's temple tax (Matt. 17:24-27). The Lord served Peter to such an extent that He even prepared the required tax for Peter beforehand.
When you study the Gospels, do you sense that the Lord served His disciples step by step? You may be amazed and think that Christians ought to serve the Lord and wonder why the Lord would come to serve Christians! Why does the Lord want to serve the Christians? "For who is greater, the one who reclines at table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table?" (Luke 22:27). This verse exposes the human concept. The Lord is in our midst as the One who serves. He is able to serve man because He is so great and is even the greatest. The greater we are, the more we can serve. The smaller we are, the less we can serve. Whoever is the smallest may not be able to serve a single person. The Lord is great; He is infinitely great and can therefore serve man in an infinite way.
The Lord says, "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12). What can serve man better than light? Whoever follows this light no longer walks in darkness but shall receive the light of life. The Lord says, "I am the bread of life" (John 6:48). What can serve man better than bread? Whoever eats this bread shall live forever. Whatever the Lord does is for the purpose of serving. Hallelujah! We have a Lord who serves us. When we face a difficulty or when we do not have any way to work out a problem, it gives the Lord an opportunity to serve us. He is so great that He is able to serve us in everything.
There is one more thing. The Lord washed His disciples' feet. This was something that Peter would "by no means" allow the Lord to do. But the Lord washed their feet; He served them (John 13:4-8).
Finally, when men came to arrest the Lord, He asked them, "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus the Nazarene." He answered, "I am; if therefore you seek Me, let these go away" (John 18:7-8). The Lord is full of consideration for the disciples. He always served the disciples from the first day He met them to the last day when He left them.
Once, He said to the Father: "Of those whom You have given Me, I have not lost one" (John 18:9). Our Lord always serves us from the first day to the last.
We still have the third passage: "Blessed are those slaves whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Truly I tell you that he will gird himself and will have them recline at table, and he will come to them and serve them" (Luke 12:37). This is too gracious! How can this be possible? However, the Lord said He will serve us again in the future. Once we were indebted to the Lord and received His grace freely. We will forever be indebted to the Lord and will forever enjoy His grace.
I wonder how many people know how to enjoy the service of Christ. Many times we are misled to think that we should serve Christ. Have we ever asked Christ to serve us? Some brothers have said that their prayers are too cold and that they have to do something to stir themselves up again. At such times they should realize that Christ can serve them in that very matter. Some have felt that they have no interest in the Bible and worry about what they should do the next day. They should realize that in that very matter, Christ can serve them also.
God has given Christ to us for the purpose of serving us. From the day that Christ was crucified on the cross until eternity, Christ will serve us. Although we do not quite understand this, we can enjoy it. We should imitate the disciple John, who reclined on the Lord's bosom and let the Lord do everything for him, rather than Peter, who refused the Lord.
