At Your Service

He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that,

“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”

– Mark 4:11-12

Back in 2020, the nation’s economy lost millions of jobs following the forced shutdown of businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But as people from coast to coast sheltered in place and worked from home, demand soared for residential deliveries of products and services ranging from groceries to exercise equipment to pet supplies. The result was that companies like Amazon, FedEx, and UPS were constantly hiring more workers to handle the demand.

Now fast-forward about five years, and Amazon vans remain a familiar sight in neighborhoods across the country. Walmart has also entered the in-home delivery business, and FedEx and UPS still enjoy considerable market share. But the logistics industry doesn’t have a monopoly on personalized service. The church, in fact, has 2,000 years of experience with it. So, whenever you see a package hand-delivered to your neighbor’s porch or front door, think about Jesus’ declaration about serving others: 

“In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be served,” the Savior proclaims. “He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people."

It’s here that Jesus turns the notion of greatness on its head by emphasizing the server over the one they serve. That means Christ-followers are to be Jesus’ hands and feet on earth while we wait for him to call us back home. Until then, we’re to help prepare God’s kingdom by making the most of the different gifts and talents he’s given us to serve others. 

And when we serve, it’s important to remember that it’s not about us. It’s instead about our Creator and his creation. With this in mind, let’s turn our faith into action by accepting Jesus’ invitation to be a ray of light amidst a dark and gloomy world.

“Make your light shine,” he says, “so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven.”

That’s a prime level of service that Amazon will never deliver.