But Jesus called them to him and said, “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.”
Jesus was an unconventional teacher, showing us the way to be saved by serving one another. While others did things to be seen and applauded, Jesus taught that humble service was the best way to be connected to God and each other. He demonstrated this in many ways, perhaps none as meaningful as when He washed the feet of His disciples.
Jesus wants us to see that we are closest to Him when we are helping others. In Matthew 25:40 we hear Him say “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me”. We need to remember that we are all brothers and sisters of Christ.
We see in this lesson that even small things matter in the work of the kingdom He sends us to accomplish. We are called to serve one another as He did. Our place with Him will come through our faith and simple acts of love to others.
Heavenly Father, in Your mercy You sent Jesus to be our savior and example. Help us to go in Your name to serve with love as He taught us. Amen.
