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The Biblical View of a Servant
Posted by Les Puryear in Uncategorized
This post is based upon biblical concepts as communicated by Henry Blackaby in “Experiencing God. ”
Many passages in God’s Word describe Jesus as God’s Servant. What was God’s purpose in sending Jesus from heaven to earth? God wanted to redeem mankind and so Jesus came as God’s servant to accomplish His will (Matt. 20:25-28).
Jesus told us about our relationship to Him. In John 20:21, Jesus said, “As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you.” And so, Jesus has called us to be His servants. But what does it mean to be a “servant?”
The world’s understanding of a servant is that a servant goes to the master and says, “Master, what do you want me to do?” The master tells him and then the servant goes off by himself and does it. That is not the biblical concept of a servant. We cannot take our understanding of biblical truth from the world. We must take our understanding of biblical truth from Scripture.
The biblical view of a servant is more like the potter and the clay:
“The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying:
‘Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause
you to hear My words.’ Then I went down to the potter’s house,
and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel
that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he
made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter
to make. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “O house
of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the Lord. “Look,
as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!”(Jer. 18:1-6)
Now, in this view, the clay has to do two things. First of all, the clay has to be molded. The clay has to be responsive to the potter, so the potter can make any vessel of his choosing. Then the clay has to do a second thing. It has to remain in the potter’s hands.
When the potter has finished making the vessel of his choosing, that vessel has no ability to do anything whatsoever. The vessel is of no use outside of the potter’s hands. And so, it has to remain in the potter’s hands.
That’s a very different view from the world’s view of a servant. When you come to God as a servant, He first wants to mold you and shape you into the vessel of His choosing.
Then He can take your life and put it where He wills and work through it to accomplish His purposes. Just like the cup cannot do anything on its own, you do not have any ability to do anything except to be where He wants you to be.
The servant can do nothing of Kingdom value by himself. Jesus said of Himself, in John 5:19, “The Son can do nothing of Himself.” Jesus said of His followers, in John 15:5, “Apart from Me, you can do nothing.” Paul said, in 2 Cor. 3:5, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.”
With God working through the servant, that servant can do anything God wants him to do. Isn’t that exciting? But a servant has to be obedient. The servant must do what he is instructed to do, but the servant must always remember who is accomplishing the work.
God is accomplishing His work. If you have been working from the world’s definition of “servant,” then you need to change your approach to serving God by working off the biblical concept of “servant.” You do not get orders from God and then go out and do them by yourself. You relate to God, respond to Him, and adjust your life to Him so that He can do whatever He wants to do through you.
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Les,
If you think like you write, and that is probably a given, you think well. I like the reminder that, “When the potter has finished making the vessel of his choosing, that vessel has no ability to do anything whatsoever. The vessel is of no use outside of the potter’s hands. And so, it has to remain in the potter’s hands.”
Thanks,
Cyle
Good Word Les,
I wonder if this view of servanthood has any more implications for our life. Such as who we view as elders/pastors/etc.
I also wonder if this does not have some sort of marriage application.
Thanks for sharing,
Lew
The Pursuit Online Store
Les, I see the servant in the potter illustration as one who can do nothing in and of himself, however, your analysis conflicts in my mind with the servants who were given talents and the Master returned to take what one had buried, give it to the one who had done the most with his talents, and then sent the slothful one packing. Can you explain that to me? selahV
Selah,
I don’t think the parable of the talents is meant to teach that servants should go off and do their own work without God. I believe the point of that parable is to be good stewards of God’s resources. That can only happen as long as we remain in Christ.
Les
Goodness, I don’t think the parable of the talents is meant to teach that servants should go off and do their own work without God either. But since they were the Master’s servants, they are expected to produce something more from what they have been given of Him when He returns, yes? He told the one who buried his that he should have at least taken it to the bank and invested it so it could draw interest. Surely that takes an act of purpose on his part doesn’t it? selahV
Great post. Gene Wilkes’ book “Jesus on Leadership” is a great work on the necessity of His people being the servants we are called to. Because we have been freed from the bondage of our sins, we are in turn bound to Christ and His righteousness. Thankfully I am fulfilled when I serve Him and bring glory to His name. We were created to reflect the glory of God on earth and in fulfilling that we understand our purpose. How great to know that it is by His works and not my own! Sorry for the scattered nature of my comment. Peace and God Bless!
SelahV,
What do you think this servant should have done?
This is what my Nelson Study Bible Says.
25:14
The parable of the talents illustrates the faithfulness required of God’s servants. The fact that the master traveled to a far country indicates that there would be ample time to test the faithfulness of the servants.
25:15
A talent was a large sum of money, about six thousand denarii. A denarius represented the day’s wage for a typical working man (20:2).
25:18
It was believed that money hidden in the ground was as secure as it could be.
25:23
The first two servants received the same reward, even though they had received different amounts of money. The reward was based on faithfulness, not on the size of their responsibilities. The smallest task in God’s work may receive a great reward if we are faithful in performing it (10:42).
25:26, 27
The wicked servant was lazy and unfaithful, because if he really had feared his master, he would at least have deposited the money with the bankers. Then the master would have received back the investment plus interest.
In His Name
SelahV,
I believe we are probably in agreement with each other although we are expressing it differently.
One more scripture I know you will affirm:
“I am the vine, you are the branches. he who abides in Me, and I in Him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
The servant of Christ remains in Christ.
Les
Chris,
You speak a very good word. A very good word, indeed.
Wayne,
I really think SelahV understands the parable. She has a true servant’s heart.
Les
Les, yes, I’ve written many a post on the branch and the Vine. And am most assuredly understanding that any and all fruit comes from the Vine, even though it hangs on my branch.
I was just wondering how you squared the parable with the illustration in the potter. The Potter makes the vessel and can leave the vessel to sit as He wills, I totally agree with the Sovereign’s will in that matter (not that He needs my agreement), He is Sovereign, after all. And I also affirm that it is in Christ, and through Christ that all is completed and apart from Him I can do nothing. Yet, as His servant, I am required to be obedient to His commands and that requires movement on my part, a yielding obedience. Doesn’t it?
If I have knowledge of the Savior and do not share it, as His servant, He is not going to hold Himself accountable for my disobedience. He’s going to hold me accountable, no? selahV
Wayne…it doesn’t matter what I think the servant should have done with his talent. It matters what the Master thinks he should have done with his talent. And your Nelson study guide explains quite nicely what he should have done.
Nice seeing you again. selahV
SelahV,
Yes, you do have the responsibility to be obedient.
Les
I see. so if the Lord says to the vessel He has made, “sit there”, then that is what we are to do. If He says, “hold that water”, we are to hold that water. It’s just hard for me to grab hold of that as being a “servant” illustration Les. It’s an inanimate object.
Christ showed us how to be a servant when He humbled Himself and washed His disciples feet. I see myself as a servant (and maybe it is the “world’s way of seeing a servant”) as recognizing Who made me, acknowledging Who empowers me, but ultimately I am the one who must be obedient in humble service. I still have to move and do. And “whatsoever I do or say” must bring glory to God.
I guess I’m not getting the “world’s view”. Who is the world? Does the world mean the lost or the Christian here? The reason I ask is that I think the idea of a servant is like Ms. Grace in the previous post. And surely the world sees her as a servant too, don’t you think? selahV
From what I’ve read and heard it is my understanding that New Testament word for servant is more related to being slave that a servant in today’s thought. In the SBC church I attend I am repeatedly reminded by my pastor that a slave has no rights, to molded and used as He sees fit. This may included fruit/reward or it may not.
Looking at myself as a servant may be a prideful way of seeing my relationship to Christ. If I constantly remind myself that Christ purchased/redeemed me, then I can be a more usable slave. I believe that is what we all want – to be used for our Master’s glory.
SelahV,
The point I am trying to make is that the non-biblical view (world’s view) is that we get our orders from the master and then carry them out by ourselves. The biblical view is that we relate to Christ, submit to Him, remain in Him, and follow where He leads, doing what He does. We are not to go out on our own by ourselves to try to do thing for Christ.
I hope this helps you understand my point.
Les
It strikes me that the attitude of servanthood is also addressed (albeit obliquely) in Luke 10:2 (and Matthew 9:36,37). “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few”, therefore we should…..mount a worker recruiting campaign?….commission a committee to investigate the worker shortage?….Have the pastor deliver a blistering sermon on our responsibility to get out in the fields and work? No, No, and No. Jesus gives what to Him is the logical response to this situation: “Therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest”. Note the pointed (and repeated) emphasis on Who’s in charge of the harvest. It’s almost as though Jesus is saying “It’s His problem, not yours”. In colloquial terms, “Lots of work, but few workers? Take it up with the Guy in Charge”.
And that may be part of what servanthood is. I work in the harvest, but it’s His harvest, not mine. I don’t have the right to get involved with e.g. worker recruitment if He hasn’t told me to do it. Happily, I do have the right (and the responsibility) to tell Him about the needs of the work (isn’t it great to work for a Boss who doesn’t mind begging, er, beseeching?) “My Ministry” isn’t mine, it’s His; I just work in it. I’m responsible for doing the part given me, but responsibility for the harvest is His, not mine.