originally published 8/11/2019
“Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35)
By now, this teaching is axiomatic for Christians. I think most all of us believe and accept the truth of this call to be “last” and the “servant of all”; but there is an inherent danger associated with this. For those of us who are tempted to “build a name” for ourselves, being a “servant of all” can simply be another thing we use to achieve that end of self-glory.
In order to help avoid this danger, Jesus points us to welcoming and serving those who can’t repay us with glory. Right after saying this about being the “very last,” He took a little child in His arms and said, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me.”
When we race to the back of line to serve children who have no power or standing or influence, then our service is more likely to be free of ulterior motives of self-glorification. Obviously, Jesus isn’t saying only to serve and welcome children; after all, He did begin by saying we should be servants “of all.” But it is a healthy practice to check our motives for serving by actively seeking to welcome and serve those who can’t do anything in return for us.
So today, let’s renew our commitment to be servants, and let’s seek every opportunity to be the “very last”; not as a means of self-glorification, but in order to be like our Lord who made Himself last by giving Himself on the cross for us.