{"id":461,"date":"2025-02-12T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-12T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ytmatrimony.com\/blog\/?p=461"},"modified":"2024-12-16T01:18:11","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T01:18:11","slug":"servanthood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ytmatrimony.com\/blog\/servanthood\/","title":{"rendered":"Servanthood"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A bullock cart with heavy load gets stuck in slush. Instead of hitting the oxen the rider gets off the cart and pushes it out of the slush. This should be the mission and the ministry of the church. Jesus taught \u2026 \u2018Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 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\u2019 (Mk.10:43-45). Let us reflect on servanthood in two axioms.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Servanthood: Not for Position, But for Action: James and John were the sons of Zebedee, whom Jesus called to be his disciples. \u2018Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. \u201cTeacher,\u201d they said, \u201cwe want you to do for us whatever we ask.\u201d “What do you want me to do for you?\u201d he asked. They replied, \u201cLet one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.\u201d \u201cYou don’t know what you are asking.\u201d Jesus said\u2019 (Mk.10:35-38). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They expressed their desire for the allotment of the place of honor on either side of Jesus. Though James and John had the close affinity with Jesus, Jesus denied their wish for position and privilege, but asks all the disciples to uphold servanthood in their life. The act of Servanthood is not seeking the position, but it is an action of utmost commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, we, the followers of Christ, as the servant of God should not seek for the positions and privileges for our own benefit, but we should commit ourselves to serve the humanity. Servanthood is the active expression of Christian witness in response to the needs and the challenges of the community in which we, the Christians and the Church live. Many a time, we express our concern towards the society and church in our articulations. But, in reality do we really take any action to practice what we preach? The social reality around us needs our serving hands in various streams to meet out the various needs. In short, this axiom, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Servanthood is Not for Position, But for Action calls us to do the action-oriented Ministry in transforming the lives of the people who are living around us. Servanthood: Not to be Served, But to Serve: Jesus spells out his philosophy of servanthood, \u201cthe one thinking to rule the nations have power over them and the great of them exercise authority upon them. But, it is not so among you\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through this statement, Jesus clearly expounded the different standards of greatness in the Kingdom of God and in the Kingdom of World. In this manner, Jesus proposes a counter model of servanthood over against the rulers\u2019 philosophy of leadership as domination. Jesus\u2019 model of servanthood can be understood from vv 43, 44, that \u201dwhoever wishes to be great among you, let him\/her be your servant; and whoever wishes among you to be first, let him\/her be the slave of all\u201d. In the above mentioned verses, both the words dia,konoj (servant) and dou\/loj\\ (slave) points a character, who attends others call to fulfill the need of the needy. In general, the term \u2018servant\u2019 means the one who serves at the table according to others wish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From this usage of the word \u2018servant\u2019, we can understand that the activities of one who serves are not directed towards their own interests but to those of others. This model of servanthood transforms the question of rank and greatness into the task of service. In contrast to the normal understanding of leadership in the world as being authority over others, Jesus has speculated among his disciples that the true greatness is in service. The service of the Son of Man and His suffering until the death is the basis for the servanthood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mark sets up a model for the disciples to follow by shading Jesus as the one who \u201ccame not to be served, but to serve\u201d and through this he explicates the purpose of his coming as \u201cto give his life a ransom for many\u201d. The word \u2018ransom\u2019 is used to denote the price of release, which is paid for the liberation of a life that has fallen into debt. Thus, the prevailing notion behind the metaphor, ransom, is to describe an act of redemption. As the faithful followers of Jesus, we are called to uphold servanthood in our ministry as Jesus practiced it in his ministry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The phrase \u201cnot to be served, but to serve\u201d describes the whole meaning of servanthood. It calls the church to renew itself and rededicate itself for the service of all. As the Christians, Jesus\u2019 servanthood calls us to follow the servanthood of Jesus Christ in all our endeavors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion Is servanthood possible in today\u2019s context? To conclude, I would like to share an illustration \u2013 In a Personality Development workshop the trainer asked a participant \u201cWhat is your main problem, you are facing now as an Executive?\u201d Immediately the executive replied, \u201cMy body. My body is the main problem, as I am overweight; I would like to be slim so that I can be more active\u201d. Then the trainer asked, \u201cDo you know what has to be done in order to become slim?\u201d The executive replied, \u201cYes of course, we have to exercise regularly, control our diet and lead a stress- free life \u2026\u201d, the trainer interrupted him and made a strong statement, saying: \u201cyou know everything but you don\u2019t do anything; this is your problem; go and do what you already know.\u201d May the triune God empower us and help us to do what we know through the scripture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Author: Mr. J. Jebakumar Jolly is from CSI Tuticorn Diocese and is currently pursing his theological studies at UTC, Bangalore.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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