servant

Feed My Sheep

“He said to him a third time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; you know that I love You.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Feed My sheep.’”

John 21:17

Each time Peter affirmed that he loved Jesus he received a similar response; “Feed My lambs;” “Tend My sheep;” and “Feed My sheep.” One who has a genuine love for Jesus will have a genuine love for the objects of His special love – other believers.

Jesus commands Christians to love one another (John 13:34; 15:12, 17; 1 John 3:11) but we may lose sight of what that means. Jesus gave an illustration to His disciples recorded in John 13 when He washed the disciples’ feet. Peter got the point as we can read in Acts and Peter’s letters where he writes, “Above all things have fervent love for one another” (1 Peter 4:8) and then goes on to reveal that fervent love is expressed by exercising the spiritual gifts given to us (1 Peter 4:9-11). If we love Jesus we will love His people expressed by serving His people.

“Feed My lambs” means that we will have a special concern and care for those who cannot care for themselves, especially new believers. That means we will go out of our way to disciple and mentor them.

“Tend My sheep” means to shepherd His people. We can all be  shepherds who look to the needs of others (Philippians 2:4; 2 Timothy 2:2). This will include providing what they need, guarding them against the enemy, warning, encouragement and comfort (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

“Feed My sheep” means that we nourish other Christians with the Bread of Life – God’s word developed in a relationship with Jesus Christ. We will teach God’s word to others. In all of these we note that the lambs and sheep are His and we are under delegated authority to engage in activities that express His sacrificial love for His flock. We may differ in the expression of these depending on opportunity and gifting but we cannot affirm we love Jesus if we are not so engaged. Singing songs of love to Jesus is hypocritical if we are not serving His people out of genuine love (John 14:15, 21, 23; 1 John 5:3; 2 John 1:6). To love other Christians with God’s kind of love (1 John 3:16) is to serve one another without condition or expectation of anything in return.

Leaving All

“Peter began to say to Him, ‘See, we have left all and followed you’”

Mark 10:28

Abandonment of everything pertaining to our earthly lives is not something done lightly or easily. While Peter and the other disciples had left all they still had to come to the place of abandonment to Jesus Christ.

In Christian service there are several pitfalls into which we may be seduced or fall. In our enthusiasm we may start making our own plans based on what we reasonably believe is service to Christ. Yet in doing so we may set parameters of location, finance, housing, employment, culture, language or a host of other limitations. The development of the disciples reveals they did have some limitations which had to be given up.

Another pit into which we may fall is the desire to do something for the Lord. The hidden motive may be to receive praise or to feel good about ourselves. Jesus said we could do nothing apart from Him (John 15:5). Any attempt to do so is rebellious pride. One may leave all with the motive of being praised for it.

Like the disciples, the first thing we do is come to Jesus, then we leave all to follow Jesus and finally we abandon everything to jointly serve with Jesus. The way to serve Jesus is to serve His people. Jesus expressed this in Matthew 25:40 and in John 21:15-19 where we read of Peter’s restoration to fellowship with the Lord. Love for Jesus will always include love for other Christians expressed in service. Jesus said, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). He said this in light of His illustration of this principle of service to one another (v 14). To love with God’s kind of love is to serve one another without condition.

Another pitfall is to serve the Lord with an expectation of getting something in return in this life or that which is to come. Abandonment is not in order to receive anything but in order to give everything. Even asking “Where can I be of use?” has the element of pride and self worth in it. It is not about our evaluation of usefulness. Abandonment is to Christ, forsaking all else. Oswald Chambers writes, “If we only give up something to God because we want more back, there is nothing of the Holy Spirit in our abandonment; it is miserable commercial self-interest.”

Let us dethrone ourselves and put Christ on the throne by yielding to Him without condition.

Ministry or Manipulation

“Let each of you look out not only on his own interests, but also for the interests of others”

Philippians 2:4

There are only two kinds of Christians; but the word used to describe the two kinds may differ according to the emphasis of the writer or speaker. In this chapter Paul mentions both kinds and gives three examples of one of them.

He introduces the person who manipulates others in verse three, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit.” These people, mentioned again in 3:19, are only interested in their own position, power or comfort and manipulate others to achieve their goal. Phrases used by such people may include, “If you loved me you would …” or “You call yourself a Christian?” The motive is always the same – selfish ambition, earthly things and pride.

In contrast Paul gives three examples of people who did not manipulate but ministered to the needs of others in humble service at personal cost: Jesus, Timothy and Epaphroditus. He exhorts us to be of the same mind and develop the same characteristics. If we are abiding in Christ these characteristics will become more and more evident.

The key characteristic of Jesus that he mentions is humility. Although Jesus has the highest position; that of Creator, King of kings, Lord of lords yet he took on the form of a servant in order to redeem mankind. The cost to Him was the experience of the cross.

The main quality of Timothy that Paul mentions is also humility expressed through sacrificial service for others. People like Timothy were in short supply (v 20). Most Christians in Paul’s presence at the time were self-seeking manipulators (v 21). Timothy, on the other hand, had proven that he was one who ministered for the edification and benefit of others (v 22).

Epaphroditus is mentioned for his sacrificial service even though it nearly killed him (v 27). Clearly, this was an expression of humility also. Paul commends him for his labour as a “fellow worker and fellow soldier” who ministered to his need (v 25). Not surprisingly Epaphroditus was much loved by those to whom he had ministered before and they were greatly concerned at his ill health (v 26).

Paul’s desire for all Christians is that we have the same mind as Jesus, Timothy and Epaphroditus and, may I add, Paul.

Following Jesus

“Follow Me and I will make you become fishers of men”

Mark 1:17

The Gospels record Jesus calling men to follow Him several times. At times it was just one person being called at other times more than one.

The initial call to follow Jesus is that one may learn who He is and learn His ways but Jesus attached an outcome for those who genuinely followed Him – they would become fishers of men (Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17). They would reproduce. In order for reproduction to occur several things need to be in the heart of the disciple.

Not everyone will accept Jesus’ terms. Some make excuses (Matthew 8:19-22; Luke 9:57-62). Some weigh the cost and see it as too high, preferring the riches of this world rather than riches in Christ. The rich young ruler was this kind of man (Matthew 19:21; Mark 10:21; Luke 18:22).

The cost of self sacrifice, taking up one’s cross, is too much for many, even many who claim to be followers of Jesus. How can one be a genuine follower of Jesus Christ and not be willing to become a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1)? Jesus willingly went to the cross and died for our sin so how is it possible to refuse to follow His lead to be a living sacrifice and still call ourselves followers of Jesus?

The great commandment is that we love both God and our fellow man (Matthew 22:37-39). The kind of love that we will have when following Jesus is His kind of love described in 1 John 3:16 – “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” and John 3:16. To refuse to love in this way is a refusal to follow Jesus.

Recorded by all three synoptic Gospel writers are Jesus words, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23). That they all recorded this surely means we must accept that this is a water-shed condition of any disciple of Jesus especially if we wish to work with Him in making more disciples (Matthew 28:19).

Many of us want to choose our own place of sacrifice and ask Jesus to come along and bless it but for us to be followers it means discerning the place of sacrifice that He has chosen for us and follow Him there. As Jesus said, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me, and where I am, there My servant will be also” (John 12:26).