A Popular Mythology
“But the greatest among you shall be your servant.” Matthew 23:11 NASB
Servant – Are you a servant? Have you adopted the Christian virtue of being an enabler for others? You might think you have. After all, servant language is very popular these days. From “servant-leadership” to foot-washing ceremonies, many of us attempt to instill a sense of humility in our practices. But until we understand the culture of Yeshua, we probably won’t realize the full extent of His comment or the definition of “servant.”
First, a little Greek. The word here is diakonos. In a previous verse in Matthew, it is paralleled with doulos (slave). This might lead us to think that servants and slaves are equal in Yeshua’s eyes, but that would be an exegetical mistake. There is a difference between these two, but it isn’t the kind of difference we normally associate with “slave.” Our perception of “slave” has been altered by the history of abuse found in all pagan societies. If we rely on the Greek text alone, we might mistakenly think of diakonos in terms of doulos, the description of someone who was owned by another. In the Greek-speaking world, slaves were property. Servants had some rights but not those of citizens. In the pecking order, slaves were at the very bottom, servants were in between and citizens rested at the top. It is the order that Yeshua reverses. But He doesn’t do it from a Greek perspective.
In the Hebraic world, slaves were not property. They were people with dignity, rights and worth, even if they were temporarily indentured to someone else. In fact, under Torah no man or woman would be an indentured servant (slave) for more than seven years. Furthermore, even those who were taken as slaves in war had specific rights and redress when they were not treated properly (this was especially true of women). The same Hebrew word (‘ebed) describes both servant and slave. It is worth noticing that this word is used to describe all the subjects of a king, the worshippers of God and a self-designation for humility. Obviously, being ‘ebed did not mean being someone’s property. None of this was true of the pagan world outside Israel. When Yeshua speaks in Hebrew, He does not employ a Greek word that has connotations of property ownership. To be a servant (or a slave) is to be under the authority of someone else. But being under that authority doesn’t mean the person has no status, no rights, no dignity. Quite the opposite is true. The “servant of the Lord” is a designation of very high regard even if it describes someone who exhibits extraordinary humility.
Now that we know a little of the differences between the Greek and Hebrew, what conclusions can we draw about Yeshua’s statement? First, we can set aside that false humility that we often see when people emulate servant behavior without voluntarily submitting to another’s authority. The issue is not washing feet. The issue is wholeheartedly following orders.
Secondly, we should notice that permanent servitude is always a voluntary act. It is possible to be ‘ebed for life, but not because any rule, regulation or situation requires it. ‘ebed for life is strictly a personal decision. It is a decision to place the control of my life under the authority of another. No man can force this upon anyone else, not even God. But this is precisely what is needed in the Kingdom. Volunteers, not conscripts.
Finally, since ‘ebed describes all subjects of the king, all worshippers of YHWH and all those who recognize their true status under God’s banner, the Greek equivalent diakonos actually applies to everyone who follows Yeshua. We are all servants simply because we fall into that divine category. The only question is whether or not we act like servants. In the end, being a servant is not a matter of title. It is a matter of behavior. In fact, those who reach for titles have probably misunderstood what it means to be diakonos. There is only one determination of the true diakonos (‘ebed). Does this person treat others as God would treat them? Hmm? Sounds like the “Golden Rule,” doesn’t it?
Topical Index: servant, slave, diakonos, doulos, ‘ebed, Matthew 23:11
BRAVEHEARTED THOTS…♥ BE STRONG & OF GOOD COURAGE… EPHESIANS 6:12 HE CAME TO WIN… ♥ CHAZAK & AMATZ – RAK CHAZAK
http://ellerslie.com/BHT-The_Ancient_War_Cry.html
Eric Ludy
Elerslie Graduation Speech 2010
Yes, Jan- and He did.
And as He stands in victory- sin’s curse has lost it’s grip on me- for I am His and He is mine- bought with the precious blood of Christ.
and now you know “the rest of the story..”- for this is who I am “bought1”- one who has been bought and one who is p-owned. I am under new ownership and new management. I work for a new boss. (All things have been made new!) Not “I”- but Christ. So long self. cya..- (wouldn’t want to be ya!)- “Not I, but Christ”- this friends, is how we roll. LORD, (have we forgotten the Lordship of Christ?) what will You have me to do? I work for Someone. – Please tell me His name.. Who is it I love? Who is it I serve? Who is it who rescued me from danger? Who is it that lifted this man out of the miry clay and set his feet upon a Rock? Who is it that by interposing His precious blood- rescued me from (all) danger? Who is my Shepherd? Who is my Strength? Who is the Source of every good gift and every perfect gift? – Shall we continue? – There is more.. Unending love- amazing grace..songs in the night.
I was lost, but Jesus found me- found the sheep who went astray- So I started out a sheep. A creature with a brain half the size of a walnut. Happily wandering in ignorant bliss away from the fold and into the desert. Totally ignorant to a life that could be and searching (just like the rest of the herd) for something- anything that could satisfy a craving, a lust, a strong desire for something more. Didn’t even know what I was searching for, until I discovered it wasn’t a what but a Who! -sounds rather dumb but- who is this Who? (who’s Who?)-lol!
Oh, friends (and family)- “it is the LORD..” What a joy it is to call Him “Master” (Master and Commander!)
~What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.~
One of these days (Alice) someone is going to read tHis Book, (read and follow label directions) do what it says to do and be amazed that it (lo and behold!) actually is true and factually does work and is very practical in our day to day lives and relationships. -Has the word of G-d made any difference in your life? (a good place for an “oy?”)
A servant of the LORD. Is there (I’m asking..) any higher calling than this? “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of the LORD..”- what (rather Who) did David know?
Paul, (Rabbi Sha’ul) a bond-servant of the LORD.. In Paul’s words- “Who shall deliver me..?” And in other inspired words.. -His Name shall be (to all people) “Salvation” (Deliverance).
For unto you is born this day a Savior.. – (what was that Name again?) More questions..- Who came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many? Answer?- He did. Who said, “I AM meek and lowly in heart and you will find rest unto your souls?”- He did.
The Son of G-d.. Meek? Lowly in heart? (but with the lowly is wisdom) Who left Heaven’s throne to become a man? He did. Who was born in a barn in Bethlehem? G-d Incarnate. (I too am having difficulty swallowing..)- but wait..-there’ more to this story. (It is His story..) Who became a man? He did. Who lived thirty years in a carpenter’s shop? He did. Who healed the sick, raised the dead, walked on water? He did. – Shall we go on?
Who saw the water turned into wine? – This time it was the (lowly?) servants. U want to see some stuff? – BEcome the servant. (We have the mind of Christ!)- Follow the instructions of YHWH- “serve one another in love”. Is this easy? -He did it..-what is preventing me? -Nothing, but my choice. My choice to shema the words of my Savior- to hear and to obey. That’s what servants do- they carry out the commands of the Christ. Who knew Him (and loved Him) better than His own mother? And what did she say to the servants (us)?- “Whatever He says unto you- do it..” When G-d speaks.. (G-d has spoken..) what is our right-response? Consider this..- if Yeshua is LORD- (absolute Sovereignty- all power, all authority, all dominion, all might is His)- How can these two words possibly exist side-by-side?- “No, LORD?”
“For I (too) am a man under Authority”- For I am His – and He is mine- bought with the precious blood of Christ.. How marvelous, the grace that caught my falling soul..- He looked beyond my faults- and He saw my needs. -Oh.. did He supply? Let me tell you about my Savior- please.. And as He stands in victory- sin’s curse has lost it’s grip on me- for I am His and He is mine-bought with the precious blood of Christ.
Again, thank you Skip.
This discourse plays so nicely into the precept of what it actually means to become a disciple of a master.
Shalom,
Please pray for my beautiful daughter Chloe. She has a temperature, sore throat, and a belly-ache. Thanks in advance!
Hi Brian,
I’ll say a prayer for your daughter Chloe and hope she is feeling better soon!
Praying Brian ! Hope she is better even now
Brian, Just got into the computer for today,and your request was staring me in the eyes, read it and smiled–not in a laughingly way, but because it reminds me of all the times we have gone through the similar symptons with one or the other of our four, plus 8 grandchildren, other children that were around us and needy, and to a small extent our three greats,– now we have two new ones -adopted from Ethopia, been in the states about three months but live in St. Louis- so we have not seen them. We live in Central TX.
But one of the many times one of our children was ill with similar symptons of your daughter’s, is a time that is so special because of how the Lord answered one prayer. Even though I was almost always very active in a local church until the last few years, the Lord did not really teach me to pray for the sick early in having the children. So our youngest daughter, approximately eleven year old was ill and in bed with a fever, aches, sore throat, etc. I had helped take care of her, and she was resting. I sat down beside her on the bed and asked if she wanted me to pray for her. She nodded that she did. I placed one hand on her head, and lifted my right hand as act of faith. Before I said a word, I was surprised when a small bolt of “electricity” hit my pointer finger. I remembered that I had not been able to use it without great pain for sometime; I was in absolute awe, and began silently thanking the Heavenly Father, “saying silently– Lord, you are healing me when I did not even ask for you to heal me.”– What He spoke to my Spirit, was something to the effect, ” LaVaye, I have healed you and your family so many times in your lives, when you did not ask, and when you did not even know that the healing was from me.” I was truly quietly walking in the heavenlies!—– I never said anything to my daughter, but prayed silently for her, as I am known to do often. I leaned over to kiss her on the forehead. She was already sound asleep. In Dec., she will be forty-seven years old.
Brian, I will close now and pray for your daughter, and also ask for the Lord to bless you greatly– I have lost everything on my computer twice this summer, and can not check anything from my past e-mails that I had kept.
But if I recall correctly, you are one that walked through the death of your first wife with cancer. We all still have so much to learn about praying for the sick! I have studied all the scriptures on it throughout the Bible, time and time again for the past forty years. We too have lost Ed’s sister to cancer at 40 years of age who left three little boys at that time. When we lived in Houston for 26 years, we kept in our home, not once but many times, people from the top of TX where we lived for years, that came to Houston’s M.D. Anderson, the “renown Cancer Center”. I can honestly say the ones we knew, did not survive the many rounds of treatment there. BUT I STILL BELIEVE THAT GOD WANTS TO GIVE HIS PEOPLE FOR MORE HEALINGS THAN WE ARE SEEING NOW. I so want to live .breath, walk with our Heavenly Father, that I will be available to Him. Shalom–L.B.
“The only question is whether or not we act like servants.”
Hmmm
In the end, all the complicated hermenuetics seem to come down to a simple plan for greatness
As Skip points out in Leading Like Jesus, the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve
And anyone who wants to be great among you must be your slave (Matt 20:27)
LaVaye, the (secret,silent) fervent prayer of a righteous (rightly-related) man does much good. We don’t hear much about secret, silent prayer. Could it be because it is (A) secret and (B) silent?
Much of my prayer time -early in the a.m.- is secret and silent. It is fast becoming my preferred “method”of prayer. We have been instructed (through G-d’s Book of Instruction- we are listening, right?) “pray for one another that you might be healed”. “G-d turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends..- Yeshua has prayed and does pray for us. He is our Intercessor.
As I also am in the process of grayness, and in the recognition and realization of my (ever increasing) fragility- prayer, all of a sudden, (or actually through a G-d given process) is moving into the forefront of my existence. I am a praying man! And I will confess to all- I really do love to pray! (So much for secret and silent!- lol!) Concerning prayer- none of us pray as we should, yet we all have been invited to do so. What is preventing prayer? What are the barriers to believing G-d? Why do the sheep (me) not return to the Shepherd? The Father loves to spend time with His children, more than we love spending quality time with ours.
“Teach us to pray” was the request of the Students. (it is a really dumb question- but..)- Was this request according to G-d’s will? Not one stutter or stammer- absolutely, positively. I can almost hear the Master say- (what took you so long to ask for this?) What are the instructions of our Master-Teacher?- “Ask, and you will receive”. – “and when He prayed.. the heavens were opened..”
Carl, Thank you so much for the above. One of our daughters -now in her mid 50’s- recently spoke or wrote so sincerely to me, to thank me for being an example, and teaching her that the only way to truly be able to function and walk with the the Heavenly Father, is to spend quiet time daily alone with HIM, as much as possible: literally more than once a day, hopefully a continuing flow.
It took a lot of disheartenment in their lives, with severe business lossess/collapse and their luxurous way of living–even though they were acitvely walking-working in a worthy church—before she could see where the quiet time with the Lord was absolutely a necessary part of the foundation of all the rest.
I think it is essential, but all of MUST FIGHT TO FIND THAT TIME. The world’s system does Not allow for it!
With this special time of holidays coming up, even more than ever the fight will be vicious! FOOD & MORE FOOD CAUSES MUCH TIME IN PREPARATION, AND THE WOMEN USUALLY GET THE BRUNT OF ALL THAT. I give thanks for every man who helps and goes beyond the normal help for the females in their lives. Many women work outside the home full time, and with children who need extra everything during the next two months.
In the world we live in today, with all the gadgets that bring a person into constant talking, listening: music, excitement, entertainment–unlimited, social networks taking the world over ( it took me several hours and much work to convince Facebook that I wanted OFF. PERIOD! They want to control your thinking, own you for advertisments, and rob you of your time with God/Jesus/Holy Spirit, and what He will do in your life.) You Carl, probably could list them far better than me. There is no time Left to quietly, silently seek the Lord God, if we connect into all of the world’s system.
Oh how, I want the Heavens to be opened to all of us who are seeking with all our souls, hearts, minds, Jeremiah 29:11-13…..echoed from Deuteronomy 4;29 (also the gracious gift of prosperity that is given in v. 11 is contingent on his people’s willingness to repent).
I also usually add for this reference Hebrews 11:6 b-“—- anyone who comes to Him must believe He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who EARNESTLY OR DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM.
Shalom, L.B.