And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day. And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee; then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise. | ||
| Deuteronomy 15:15–17 | ||
| Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. - Psalm 40:6–8 The ear of Jesus Christ was opened, pierced not with an awl but by the wood of the Cross of Calvary. Jesus is the perfect bondslave who came not to be served, but to serve (Mark 10:45), who came not to do His own will, but His Father’s (Matthew 26:39). For the joy set before Him, He endured the Cross, despising the shame (Hebrews 12:2). He knew there would be suffering and bleeding, but He also knew that on the other side, there would be joy which would far outweigh and supersede even the pain. And such can be the same for you and me . . . Doulos, the Greek word for servant, refers to an under rower. Think of a ship sailing across the Mediterranean Sea. While the passengers on the deck enjoy the view, below them are men expending great energy, toiling at the oars. That’s what it means to be a servant. You slave away hour after hour, day after day in order to get the people above you to their destination. The true servant says, “I want to get you to where you’re supposed to be - out of the slough of despondency, out of the place where you’re discouraged, confused, or damned eternally. I want to do whatever I can to get you to your destination.” “That sounds awful,” you say, “rowing day after day under the deck just to get someone else to his or her destination.” But here’s what you must remember: If the people on deck are headed to Maui, guess where you will end up? It’s true. If I’m helping someone else to have a better day, I arrive at the same port. If I’m helping someone overcome discouragement, I myself end up overcoming my own discouragement. If I’m helping someone else with their marriage, my own marriage grows stronger, richer, and deeper. If I’m helping someone else who is confused about the nature of the Father, as I row for them, my own understanding of the Father becomes so much clearer. This should not be surprising. After all, Jesus said, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:38). Next time you have a week where you feel physically, emotionally, spiritually, or mentally fatigued, here’s the key: Serve others. Talk to others. Pray with others. Maybe people will notice your labor of love on their behalf. But it may be that your work will take place under the deck where, out of sight, unnoticed by others, as a bondslave, you row faithfully to get them to their destination. Pastor Jon Courson | ||
