Advent-ure 2021 December 16: Jesus Would Come as a Servant (Looking Beyond)

Jesus challenged his disciples to practice servanthood. He taught them that He came in order to be a servant, and we recognize that He came to do the will of God by giving His life so that we might come to know Him and be saved. Mark chapter 10 states:
42 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.
44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Jesus is our Lord and we can surrender our lives to Him in order to experience salvation, healing, and wholeness. He shows us the way we should live and empowers us by the Holy Spirit to actually do that. That involves recognizing that we no longer belong to ourselves, but that we belong to Him, and He is the one who desires to govern our thoughts and actions. In keeping our focus on Christ, we take our eyes off ourselves, which enables us to be sensitive to the needs around us. He came as a servant, so that we, in serving Him, also serve others.

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We are now on Day 16 in our 2021 Faith Radio Advent Guide, "25: A Christmas Advent-ure," and I want to direct your attention to another of these prophecies in the Old Testament that were fulfilled by Jesus. The first four verses of Isaiah chapter 42 provide a sweeping look at the life-changing, earth-changing scope of our Savior's work:
1 "Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
3 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth.
4 He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law."

Jesus, the Messiah, was to be considered a servant.  He taught His disciples and directs us on that path of servanthood, humbling ourselves before Him and allowing His love to flow out to others.  Even the world has discovered the blessing of servanthood, promoting the importance of doing good for other people.

A TODAY show article from last year emphasized attitudes concerning serving others. An article on its website says:

OptionB.org, a nonprofit founded by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg to help people build resilience in the face of adversity, partnered with Survey Monkey to poll 2,050 adults about their experiences in 2020. They found:

• 90% supported others this year by doing things like calling, texting, sending a care package or helping with errands
• 62% said they gave more of these kinds of support to others than they did in previous years
• 80% said they received support from others this year, and many said the kindness came from people they hadn't expected to reach out...

The article reports that almost 4-in-10 respondents said, "the most meaningful thing someone could do for them is just to reach out..."  The article quotes Catherine Sanderson of Amherst College, who said: "Giving to other people is extraordinarily beneficial for us. And that's true both psychologically and physically," adding, "There's fascinating research that has shown that volunteering in your community is associated with not only feeling happier, but living longer."  The article notes that "helping others" can produce resiliency in the face of hard times. 

Let's go back one more December, when the New York Post published an article about a survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Vitamin Angels.  The article says that, "The average American carries out five good deeds a month, according to a new survey."  Some of these acts of service performed within the past year include:

1. Helped someone with directions: 66 percent
2. Held the door open for a stranger: 65 percent
3. Let someone with fewer items go in front of me in line at a store: 60 percent
4. Helped someone cross the street: 60 percent
5. Completed a chore/errand for a family member or friend: 56 percent...

The story also examined how people interact with charities; it stated:

Of those surveyed that currently donate to a charity, their monthly monetary donations are an average of $41.39.

Despite their charitable habits, seven in 10 respondents said they feel guilty if they do not donate to charity during the holiday season.

Furthermore, 83 percent agreed that they wish they could give more throughout the year – with 64 percent citing that their own financials limit them.

The article in the New York Post contends that, "it really is true that the smallest thing can make a big difference to someone."  Our outward acts of service or charity reflect what is in our hearts, and believers in Christ should ideally be the most service-conscious people on earth in light of what our Savior has done for us.

Even though Jesus is our King, our Savior, and our Messiah, part of the Trinity, He showed us the path to servanthood.  We can be mindful to follow in His ways and to place the needs of others higher than our own.  By humbling ourselves before Him, we become a conduit of His love.