Chotard Doll

Dear Friends,

“Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave.”

—Matthew 20:26

In this passage from Matthew’s gospel, Jesus has just taken the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and predicted his arrest, crucifixion and resurrection.

In the very next verse, the mother of James and John asks for their special place in his kingdom. How familiar: it’s so tempting to be deaf to the things we don’t want to hear, or to understand.

Interestingly, Jesus doesn’t rebuke them. Wanting to be great is not reprehensible. What matters is our reason for wanting to be great. So much of what Jesus preaches has to do with our inner motivation.

So, in order to be great we must be servants. If we want to be great to exercise power and influence and monetary gain, we are great in the eyes of the world, perhaps, but not in the kingdom of God. We have to choose which world we want to be great in.

What does it mean to be a servant? I find myself thinking of the Baptismal service. and the vows we made and renew every year. The parents and Godparents who present us agree to “help this child to grow into the full stature of Christ.” A formidable promise! Surely that includes servanthood.

And also the vows we ourselves make and renew every year. “Will you seek to serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? “ Surely that means putting the needs of others before my own selfish desires, one definition of servant. So also: “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?” That means it’s not all about me and my desires. Equality is another form of servanthood.

Of course, all these vows are made with the words, “I will, with God’s help.”

Because there is no other way we could possibly live up to those vows. 

So, I will, with God’s help. Amen

Faithfully,

—Chotard