Who knew??

I think I will stay with the servant theme for a while as I see it being so important to the Church and for church leadership.  Again I am reminded Jesus is our role model and He told the guys He did not come to be served but to serve.  I am also convinced Jesus could take the role of a servant on so easily because He knew who He was in relationship to the Father.  In John 13 we read, “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He came from God and was returning to God.” He was so very secure in His Father’s love for Him that He had no reason to hold on to His deity and demand worship, instead He could serve. Matt.3:16”And a voice from Heaven said, “This is my Son Whom I love.”  Jesus very much reflected back to us the words of the Psalmist in 131, “But I have stilled and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.”

Paul would note in Philippians two, “He made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant” The NASB says it this way, “But emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant,” 

He emptied Himself…He made Himself nothing…He is our cornerstone, our firm foundation…we fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.  He is described in Isaiah as a “suffering servant.” 

One of my favorite John Wimber sermons was one he called, “The Servants Knew,” and I think there is some incredible insight that he pulled from the story in John 2.  This is the story of Jesus turning the water into wine, His first recorded miracle.  This story always struck me as being a little strange and wondered the point for many years…In fact the story seems to not be all that big of a deal except the point it gives the scholars an opportunity to debate whether He turned the water into fermented, real wine or was it just really good grape juice…really…you think that is the big point here, wine or grape juice?  Well whatever it was it was really good!  Anyway, buried in the story is one line that I think is a huge point of interest for me.  “the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.  He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew.”      I do not think it was an accident John included those words…the servants knew…they had been a part of the miracle…they had seen the water go in and the wine come out…they knew…Being a servant allowed them to see the behind the scenes work of our Lord and that had to be so much fun. 

I think it may still be the same today, those who serve or become servants will know what the Father is doing… They will see miracles happen…they will be included in the work of the Father…they will have more fun in the kingdom…they will see God do much with little.  That is how I feel, even about being a pastor; God will do much with little.  That is not a put down but a reminder of who is God and who is not.  I think of the story where Jesus feeds the multitude and remember that as the disciples were beginning to panic one small boy handed his lunch over to Jesus and watched it grow and grow and then he still went home with more than he started with!  I am not sure the grownups knew what was going but the child did…God can do a lot with a little.  

My desire has always been to know what the Father is doing…it seems to me being a childlike servant may be the best position to find myself in.  I also then suspect I need to be secure in the relationship I have with the Father…how much He loves me and how He called me to work in His vineyard, His church…not mine.  Is.43:1b “I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”

Think I will go and meditate on that for a while….

Bill