Servant to All

“…instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:26-28)

So I have this neighbor named Mattie, I’m guessing he’s close to fifty years old.  Having been born with mental deficiencies, Mattie functions at the level of a four year old.  He wanders the neighborhood most of the time, interacting with whoever will give him an ear.  Mattie is one of those guys who shows up at the most inopportune times to feed you useless, but endearing, pieces of information.  Matt won’t let up until he’s confident you’ve received his information, processed it fully, and applied his wisdom to your life.  And he won’t hesitate to repeat the same sentence over and over until he’s at peace.  He’ll even use visual aids and props to get his point across, which makes the explanation all the more confusing, believe me.

Despite Mattie’s odd ways, our family always gives him our attention because it’s become evident that most people in the neighborhood have written him off as a nuisance.  Something Mattie has taught me is what it is to have a servant’s heart.  Every time I work in my yard (all 100 square feet of it), Matt shows up at just the right time in order to help me.  He stays away from weed wackers and lawnmowers, but he pushes that broom until the sidewalk is cleared of debris, and he doesn’t leave until I shut my door.  It sounds simple enough, but it blesses me every time he helps because it doesn’t even cross his mind NOT to help.  He just needs a pat on the back, a handshake, and a “good job, Mattie.” 

It’s remarkable how Christ shows himself to us in the places we least expect Him to. In Matthew 20:28, Jesus makes it clear that he requires us to serve one another in order to receive the inheritance of heaven.  What’s been established here on earth is a very temporary structure, but eternity with Christ is for those who are willing to humble themselves and serve.

 “Father, help us to be sensitive to the teaching moments you place before us in our everyday lives.  Help us to have faith “like a child” and be willing to humble ourselves for the sake of others, and most importantly to grow in our relationship with You.”