Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’”
NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, February 26, 2020
ASH WEDNESDAY 2020
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
Jesus and his disciples were well into their ministry by now. They were busy preaching, teaching, healing, and were amassing quite a following. It’s understandable the disciples would have begun to see themselves as VIPs in their community. People flocked to them (to Jesus actually, but who’s counting?), and they were local celebrities.
As their pride in themselves swelled, Jesus set his sights on a different path. He knew that their future was not filled with glory and fame, but with suffering and death. He told them so, but they didn’t understand. Or maybe they didn’t want to understand. Fame, glory, and power were far more attractive.
When they started to argue who was the greatest among them, Jesus had enough. He could see that their sights were set on themselves. Jesus’ ministry was not about themselves—it was about all of God’s children. He taught them that their greatest achievement would not be in power, but in servanthood—dirty, messy, ugly servanthood.
In our current political and cultural landscape, it seems that the major division point on many of the divisive topics comes down to this—is it best for me or best for the other?
If you are a healthy, non-addicted, law-abiding, legal citizen, then efforts to open the borders, make healthcare available to all, and send addicts through treatment will be potentially worse for you and better for the other. But you are powerful, and they are vulnerable. You are already great. Are you serving?
If you are sick, addicted, or living here without legal citizenship, then you are the vulnerable “them” (“all”) that Jesus strived to serve. But that doesn’t mean you can’t also serve. Perhaps you can serve by walking alongside those who struggle to see your perspective and your experience and teach them so that they can learn to love with understanding and acceptance.
What does it mean to be a servant in your context?
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