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1 Corinthians 4:8-13
The Apostle Paul is growing frustrated in his striving to reach the “saints” in the church at Corinth. He has come to sarcasm as he brings to light the ways of their minds. As they are striving to be wise, strong, and distinguished, Paul and his fellow stewards/servants, of whom are the teachers of Jesus in sharing the gospel, are weak and dishonored. Paul states in 1 Corinthians 4:12-13 (NKJV), “12And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; 13being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.” Yet the Corinthians are seeking glory for themselves. Paul wants them to see that it is not about glorifying themselves, but that through their servanthood that they would bring glory to God.
This is an example that serving others does not involve striving to bring glory to oneself.
I believe that Jesus states it best in Luke 22:27 (NIV), “For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.” Jesus continues to turn the table on the way men think we should be, and the way in which He instructs us to follow His lead. We want to be the one at the table being served in all our glory; but Jesus came as a servant, and we should follow in His footsteps – the footsteps of servanthood. This requires a change of heart from the desires of man to the desires that God puts in our hearts through His Holy Spirit whom He promised to all who will believe in Him. We all are saints in Christ, but it is the attitude of a servant that makes us the saint.
Dear LORD,
Jesus came to live among us as the King who serves. This is against the thoughts of man for our ideas of kingship. But living in Christ Jesus requires a change from the ways of this world to the ways of a new life that is not of this world. Please open our eyes to the glory of servanthood in Christ Jesus that by following in His footsteps we would truly be the saints of the world today. In Jesus name I pray, amen.