“The fact is that whoever becomes a servant does not and cannot take anything, but only gives of Himself and even gives Himself into servitude.” 

–Martin Luther–                                                                                                                             (LW, 76:419)

“Can I have a waffle and some juice?”

These are the first words that I hear every single morning around 6:30 am from my two young boys. 

One of the lessons that I had no choice but to learn when children arrived in my home was this: to be a parent is to be a servant.  Parenting and serving are inseparable.  

During the younger years of a child’s life, much of the service that we provide to them is similar to being a waiter or waitress at a diner.  We listen to the wants and needs of another, we disappear for a few minutes to find the requested items, and then we deliver the wanted or needed items into their possession.

The internal struggle that arises within me once the sun begins to show itself in the early hours of my day, is that there is nothing I would rather do than sit in the recliner, have a warm cup of coffee brewed for me and brought to me, and watch the news without interruption. I don’t get out of bed wanting to serve, but to be served.

This internal struggle between serving my family and being served by my family is not the only arena in my life where humility battles exaltation.

This same internal struggle exists in my relationship with God. 

Martin Luther puts it this way, “All Adam’s children are the same: we ought to be God’s servant, but we want to be God Himself.” (LW, 76:417)

I am awakened every day with strong desire to be the God who is served and not the one who serves God.

But then, by the grace of God alone, I am reminded of the humility of Jesus Christ, the One who came to serve me His body on the cross.  

In his letter to the church at Philippi, the apostle Paul describes Jesus’ internal understanding of God-centered serving with this exhortation,

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2.5-11)

“[Jesus] was God, and all the divine works and words He did were done for our good. He serves us as a servant and does not have Himself served as Lord, as He has every right to do. He seeks neither honor nor profit in it, but our benefit and salvation…He became less than all people, lowered Himself, and served all people with the higher service: that He gave His body and life for us.” (LW, 76:421)

I am thankful that God’s mercies are new every morning and that I can once again go to Him in confession and repentance asking, “Can I have Your body and Your blood.” And, just like I often do with my own children, the Father in Heaven, gets up off His chair, His throne in Heaven, and brings me what I need—His Son, Jesus, to forgive me of my self-exaltation, lack of humility, service laced with grumbling, and my many attempts to sneak onto His throne. 

It is here, in God’s grace towards me in Jesus’ serving me that I am made new and strengthened to serve my family, my friends, and God’s Church.

Amen.