WE ARE CALLED TO SERVE
We are all
God's servants; how is this truth expressed in our lives?
In
the first reading from the prophet Isaiah we read, "My face I did not
shield from buffets and spitting, knowing that I shall not be put to shame. For
the Lord God has given me a well-trained tongue" (Is. 50:4-7). We are to
speak to the people and to rouse them; we are to be servants. It's not
surprising that the early Christians saw in the servant songs a remarkable
similarity to Jesus' life and ministry. In an earlier chapter from the prophet
Isaiah we read the third servant song about a suffering servant. This passage
helped Jesus' followers understand His death on the cross in a new and hopeful
way.
St.
Augustine of Hippo comments on the significance of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem
saying:
The master of humility is Christ who humbled Himself and became obedient
even to death, even the death of the cross. Thus He does not lose His divinity
when He teaches us humility... What great thing was it to the king of the ages
to become the king of humanity? For Christ was not the king of Israel so that He
might exact a tax or equip an army with weaponry and visibly vanquish an enemy.
He was the king of Israel in that He rules minds, in that He gives counsel for
eternity, in that He leads into the kingdom of heaven for those who believe,
hope, and love. It is a condescension, not an advancement for one who is the
Son of God, equal to the Father, the Word through whom all things were made, to
become king of Israel. It is an indication of pity, not an increase in power.
(Tractate on John No. 51:3-4)
Please
take the time today to reflect on the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to Matthew's Gospel.
We
are all God's servants; how is this truth expressed in our lives?