"A New Season"

"Identity" (Relational Truth: part 11)

          "We are children of God...heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him" (Rom. 8:16,17).

We are joint heirs with the 'faithful, obedient Son'--Jesus, the Lamb of God--who is the "Suffering Servant". Jesus proclaims, "I am among you as the one who serves" (Luke 22:27). Now living within us, Jesus continues to fulfill his word, " Where I am, there also will my servant be" (John 12:26); and, "Here I am...to do your will is my delight" (Psalm 40:8,9). Ultimately, Jesus offered the perfect "service" to the Father in the offering of his life on the cross. This service is the supreme worship given to the Father. As true sons and daughters of the Father, for us too, the true service we offer is our worship:

"True worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth...God is Spirit and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth" (John 4:23,24). 

          We are servants of Jesus, and he makes of us sons and daughters of the Father. We serve God as sons and daughters because we "serve in the newness of the spirit" (Rom.7:6). Through the Holy Spirit we share in the kingly, priestly and prophetic identity of Jesus who is "the Servant of God par excellence" (Dictionary of Biblical Theology, p. 531); for, in him these three servant roles found in the Old Testament are united, and hence fulfilled. A true servant of God is one who is called to 'collaborate' with God in His plan. Because we are, in fact, 'joint heirs' with the Lamb who has fulfilled the Father's plan perfectly, we are called to this 'collaboration' by sharing as intimately as possible in the ministry of the Lamb who was slain. 

          Thus, our first posture as servants is to be one of listening: "Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening" (1 Sam. 3:10). As servants of Jesus we are first to be servants of the word: "We shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word" (Acts 6:4). Ultimately this word is the Word himself, Jesus, who is now seated at the right hand of the Father where he lives forever to make intercession (see Heb. 7:25). As servants we are formed in the Heart of Mary, who declared at the Annunciation, "I am the servant of the Lord" (Luke 1:38, NAB 1970 translation). Thus each of us can say with the psalm writer, "LORD,  I am your servant, your servant, the child of your maid servant" (Psalm 116:16). I am the spiritual child of Mary who is the true "servant-Handmaid" of God. It was through Mary that the "Suffering Servant" entered into the world "to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).  

Questions:

1)   Do I have a true servant's heart, or do I need to grow in this area?

2)   Do I have a true listening heart of a servant of God?

Scriptures:

Any scripture from the text; Is. 42:1; Luke 16:13; John 12:26; 1 Pet. 4:11