A Week of Challenge – Servanthood before Self

As I continued my way this week through “Journey with Jesus,” Larry Warner’s guide through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, the theme was “service,” with Jesus set before us as role model. The grace I was told to pray for was the ability to own my role as one who serves others. Here are a few thoughts from my journal…

—  “Jesus did not come to be served but to serve.” (Matthew 20:28) This challenge to “be like Jesus” I find both inspirational and an obstacle. After all, I am not Jesus, am not both human and divine. So that’s a pretty high bar against which to measure myself. And yet, we have been made “little less than gods” (Psalm 8:5) and have within us a divine spark placed there at our baptisms and fanned into flame by the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. We don’t get to play the “I’m not Jesus” card. We need to try and live up to what has been placed in us. 

— Inspired by John 13:12-17

I can still feel the water and the texture of the towel, his rough hands on my calloused feet, wiping away the grit, gently massaging and drying them. Now he has moved on to the person next to me, whose feet are, well, even worse than mine were. As he knelt before me, I couldn’t look him in the eyes, couldn’t begin to fathom why he would do such a thing. Just as I was beginning to believe he might be special, might be the One, he goes and does something like this. This can’ be the image he’s shooting for. This is going to be his brand? He finishes and stands before us.  

“Do you know why I did this?” he asks. 

I haven’t a clue. 

“You have an idea of who I am,” he begins, “you call me teacher and master. You’ve seen the miracles and heard my words.”

We nod. We’re ready. 

“And now you’ve seen me do this. To serve instead of being served. This is more important.”

Silence. None of us know what to say. 

“So if I do this…” he begins, leading us like a schoolteacher into our grammar books.

Silence again. Finally someone ventures a guess. “We need to do the same.” 

Ding-ding. We have a winner. 

“This is the way to live,” he says. “Hearing my words and understanding them is not enough. Get down on your hands and knees and live them out.”

Once again, I find he is turning my world and comfortable way of doing things upside down. 

—   Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve. 
To give, and to not count the cost,
To fight, and to not heed the wounds, 
To toil, and to not seek for rest,  
To labor, and not to ask for any reward, 
Except that of knowing that we do your will. (St. Ignatius Loyola) 

— Inspired by Romans 12:1-2 

We offer up our bodies and minds
As prayers and living sacrifices 
Worship that pleases God, we hope. 
Not swayed by what pleases the crowds but, instead,
Open to transformation
Daily renewal of
Mind and spirit
By what we do and choose not to. 
We align ourselves to God
Better to discern what we have been made for.  

Ask yourself:

— To what am I drawn?
— What am I uniquely called and created to do?
— Can I empty myself of my “wants” so I can better understand what God wants of me?
— Can I give without counting the cost of my time, effort, work and wealth?