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When you’ve said, as Jesus did yesterday, that you’ve come to serve, not to be served, it’s amazing how quickly opportunities to prove whether or not you were telling the truth come along. How would Jesus respond when he was recognised as Son of David, and begged to ‘have mercy on us.’ It strikes me that the compiling of the narratives of the gospels was no accident. That is definitely the case here. Here Jesus, having made quite a grand statement of humility, claiming to turn the power structures of the world on their heads, given an opportunity to show what he’s made of. Will he serve the blind beggars? How will he serve them? His answer, ‘What would you like me to do for you?’. If you’ve read the gospel accounts of Jesus, you’ll see that this is a familiar refrain of his, but particularly in this context this is staggering I think. Jesus is not a king who thinks ‘how best can you serve my aims?’ or ‘how can I bend you to my will?’, ‘what will feather my own nest?, or even ‘how will this best reflect on me?’. He is a servant. Having heard their reply, we’re told he is ‘moved by compassion’ as he restores their sight.
Wouldn’t it be great if our metaphorical eyes could be opened to this model of living, this model of leadership? We don’t need to do more, do better, be more powerful or successful. Knowing who we are, as friends of Jesus, in God with him, so much of what we worry about could fall away. If only we would let go of it. If only our cares were actually cast upon him and not tightly maintained and developed by us.
So many people I meet, seeing me in the uniform of a Church minister, are convinced I only want to talk to them to convert them. Almost as soon as I say ‘hello’ they’re on the back foot, in a headlong rush to tell me why they don’t go to Church, don’t believe in God, don’t think the Bible’s any good and that sort of thing. The idea that I might just want to get to know them, to serve them seems almost impossible to them. I have to do all I can to make it plain that my role is one of service, first. It is not for me to go around demanding people show me, or my creed, their allegiance. Jesus had a way of getting people to see that he wanted to serve them, that he would do what they asked of him, because he loved them. How can we live, love and work in such a way that our lives can bless people in similar ways today? After all, that is one of the callings those of us who follow Jesus have been given. One way, I think, is to keep on going back to God in prayer, asking him to renew our compassion for those around us, those we meet who may be struggling in any kind of way, and those who do not yet have any knowledge of or relationship with Jesus. Compassion has the consequence of action, however and as we are stirred to action, as our compassion is increased, so likewise pray that God would increase our faith that we might go in to each situation confident that he will help with us do and say what is necessary to serve others, glorify God and bring the joy of his kingdom into our lives and communities.