by Jered Weber-Johnson
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20:26-28
Words like servant and slave have long been taken wildly out of context and abused in the church to do all kinds of harm. How many have stretched themselves to the breaking point, allowed themselves to be walked all over, given too much, emptied their own proverbial wells in the name of “servanthood” or in the name of the Church? Yet, still, particularly in predominantly white, wealthy, well-to-do spaces, this reminder of just how differently Christ regarded power, of what it means to assume a posture of humility and service as his disciples, is a needed and even urgent corrective to the ways of the world.
I hope we have learned our lessons as a church about promoting an unhealthy culture that mistakes exploitation with servanthood. And, I hope that the model of Christ’s counter-cultural humble service, self offering, and service is one that those of us in positions of power and privilege will take to heart – especially if we proclaim to follow Jesus as our savior and Lord.
Dwarf Larkspur – Delphinium tricorne
These photographs, shared each day during Lent, capture the beauty of plants native to the Upper Midwest. As we spend time in Lenten reflection, these images of new life can remind us daily of our calling to be caretakers of God’s Creation.
Photo by Jo Anna Hebberger
