| Ephesians 6:7 – “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.” |
We elevate the idea of “being a servant” to a pedestal.
Jesus did say that the greatest is the servant of all.
Yet, many times, we don’t grasp what it truly means to be a servant.
It can best be seen in an incident that involved two political opponents.
In January of 1973, John Stennis, the powerful senator from Mississippi, stepped out of his home, only to be ambushed on the sidewalk by a robber.
He was beaten and then shot in the stomach and leg and left for dead.
An ambulance sped the 71-year-old senator to Walter Reed Hospital, where he underwent more than six hours of surgery.
When news of the shooting started to spread, it was reported on the radio. Mark Hatfield, a fellow senator, but on virtually the opposite end of the political spectrum who had frequently clashed with Stennis turned his car around and headed to the hospital.
Arriving at the hospital, he found the switchboard absolutely paralyzed with calls asking about Stennis’ condition. It was clear to Hatfield that something needed to be done.
He walked to the desk and said to the switchboard operator, “I know how to work one of these. Let me help you.” For several hours, this well-respected and powerful United States Senator fielded phone calls until finally, the crisis had subsided.
As he was leaving, the weary switchboard operator said, “I don’t even know your name.” And he replied, without fanfare or importance, “My name is Hatfield. I was happy to help out on behalf of a man I deeply respect.”
For most, they see importance in status and position. The truth is importance is being free of pettiness, grudges, vengeance, and prejudice. Serving means caring unconditionally without notice.
It is Jesus in John 13, draped in a towel, kneeling with a pan at the feet of fishermen, tax collectors, and those who listened to him. And he said, “I have left you an example, that you should do to each other as I have done to you.”
If there is something the world needs more of it is servants, people who empty themselves for the good of others. That is what Christ’s followers aspire for. Don’t forget to serve today.
–Robert G. Taylor
robertgtaylor.com
