Daily Devotions
That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:3
At my vicarage congregation there lived a little, old man who walked every Sunday morning to church.
That’s not entirely surprising. Many congregations have a fair number of faithful members who like to take a constitutional, which ends up with them in church.
What made this man special was the fact he was deaf. In the course of my ministry nobody ever accused me of being too quiet, but this man was so deaf he never heard a word from any of my sermons. He was unable to appreciate the pipe organ, or hear the clear sounds of the bells, or the hymns that were sung with great gusto.
Many of his neighbors, like me, wondered why the old fellow bothered.
Eventually, one of those neighbors, a non church-going neighbor, summoned up the courage to ask our member. Well, actually, he had to write his question on a piece of paper: “Why do you spend your Sundays at Redeemer when you can’t hear a word of what’s going on?”
Our deaf parishioner replied with pride: “I go to church to show my neighbors whose side I’m on!” This man understood the idea of servanthood. He was not asking his church to serve him. He wanted to serve the Lord Jesus, who had given His life for our salvation.
Now please understand nobody likes to be a servant — not you, not me. Usually the higher an individual is stationed, the harder it is for him to do a lowly job in a graceful manner.
That’s why all humanity ought to be shocked to see Jesus, God’s Son, come to this earth to save us. He did not come as a conquering king, but as a Lamb. He gave His entire life for a world that is not worthy to tie His shoes or say His Name.
The challenge before us is who will follow His example?
The question each of us needs to answer is who will walk in the footsteps of my deaf friend at the beginning of the lesson? Who is willing to let the world know whose side they’re on?
THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I cannot understand how degrading it must have been for You to come into this world to be my Servant. You have a love that is bigger than my imagination. Now may I reflect the love I have received and let the world know whose side I am on. In Your Name. Amen.