Serving is at the heart of Jesus’ ministry. A disciple’s goal is to do as the teacher does. Making the connection between Jesus feeding 5,000 and setting up food pantries and soup kitchens is easy.
Connecting serving with Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman or his taking time for children or his comforting of friends moves us beyond charitable activities to relationships.
Jesus calls us to think differently about how and why we serve others—not merely “doing for” or picking and choosing who gets our attention and when. Serving as Jesus serves brings us closer to Jesus, the one who did not come to be served but to serve.
This message was adapted from the “Lessons for Today’s Disciples” resource written by Valora K Starr and available for free download from the Women of the ELCA website.
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