“Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35
As a North American, the words of Christ to the twelve may be difficult to accept as our culture impresses upon us the need to be first and have everybody else in last place. The dictionary defines the word ‘servant’ as follows; one that serves others; a public servant; especially one that performs duties about the person or home of a master or personal employer. The word is ‘Middle English’ and its first known use was in the 13th century.
This word ‘servant’ has been in my thoughts a lot as I have been reading about all the turmoil taking place in Haiti; people demanding that the President step down. There have been several months of violent protests, mainly in Port-au-Prince but a few days ago I read an article in the Miami Herald that spoke of thousands of people from Catholic and Protestant churches who had peacefully protested throughout the county, asking President Moise to step down. These are God’s servants; pastors, teachers and congregation members are servants of the Risen Christ, seeking to peacefully replace corruption with Godly wisdom and governance.
The children in the attached photo attend the Lutheran school at Bas De Sceaut in the Artibonite District. This a small class of the 110 children who are fed daily in this school. These young servants are happy servants, going to school in this wooden structure with a dirt floor, no glass in the windows and a piece of canvas for a door. These missionaries may one day be serving our Risen Savior by governing in Haiti; a country that has always been open to satan through the vodou priest since it became an independent country in 1804.
They are learning the true meaning of Mark 9:35 and are receiving their only real meal of the day at this location. Too often we get our priorities twisted around and fail to see what is really important in this lifetime. Put down the wall that this world has placed around you, lower your guard and seek to follow the model of service that Christ has given you. Martin Luther wrote the hymn ‘Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord’ a long time ago but his words are a wonderful way to close today’s message.
“Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord! Be all Thy graces now out poured on each believer's mind and heart; Thy fervent love to them impart. Lord, by the brightness of Thy light, Thou in the faith dost men unite of every land and every tongue; this to Thy praise, O Lord, our God, be sung. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Thou holy Light, Guide Divine, oh, cause the Word of Life to shine! Teach us to know our God aright and call Him Father with delight. from every error keep us free; let none but Christ our Master be that we in living faith abide, in Him, our Lord, with all our might confide. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Thou holy Fire, Comfort true, grant us the will Thy work to do and in Thy service to abide; let trials turn us not aside. Lord, by Thy power prepare each heart and to our weakness strength impart that bravely here we may contend, through life and death to Thee, our Lord, ascend. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!”
Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay