From slave ship to the palace

But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.  You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. Romans 8: 16 – 17

A few years ago God gave me a picture of a wooden slave ship – the sort where the slaves were chained in the bowels of the ship rowing. There they sat in row upon row, unable to go anywhere and unable to do anything except row the huge oars. Indeed they had no say in where they were rowing, where they were going or why. All they could do is sit there and row and if they stopped they would be beaten.

This is an awful picture of sin. We are chained to it, unable to free ourselves from its bonds. As Paul says:  For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. Romans 7: 18 – 20

Sin is a cruel slave master, chaining us into a life that we do not want.

However in my picture, I saw Jesus come in a shining light into the bowels of this hell-hole of a ship, walk up to one of the slaves and hold out his hand. As the slave took Jesus hand, the chains fell off and startled beyond imagination he walked out with Jesus from his prison. What a wonderful picture of salvation. … through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8: 2.

However as I looked I saw Jesus take the slave, blinking out into the sun and onto a busy London pavement outside Buckingham Palace. He took his old filthy rags and gave him new ‘robes of righteousness’. With a word he was cleansed so his body was clean and groomed. The slave was transformed - clean in every way – inside and out.

Then something wonderful happened. Jesus led the ‘new creation’ across the road to Buckingham Palace and took him inside. The ex-slave was almost struck speechless. The palace was beautiful beyond anything he had ever seen or could imagine. It was amazing in every way – beautiful rooms, furnishings, grounds and wonderful staff to meet his every need.  This however was not a life of privilege to indulge himself but a life of privilege from which a new life of service and devotion to the King would flow.

The great thing about being British is that we understand royalty. We grow up with it and have it modelled to us all our lives. Our Royal family is indeed privileged. There is little they cannot have in terms of material items or being served but they model to our nation and the world that this life of privilege is also one of duty and service. They work extraordinarily hard to serve and bless others through patronage of military organisations, professional bodies and a multitude of charities. Having a member of the Royal Family as a patron or president to your organisation or charity adds publicity, visibility and credibility to the work and is greatly sought after.

As Christians we are members of THE Royal Family. We have not only been released from the slavery to sin, cleansed and clothed in robes of righteousness but we have been taken into the palace to serve the King and the Kingdom.  We have every resource available to do this and many have faithfully used their lives and talents to bless the world. 

The Church does an enormous amount of good work, not just through charities like Tearfund, Hope for Justice, Christians against Poverty but by assisting local communities through toddler and parent groups, holiday clubs, food banks, old peoples’ clubs and other services let alone ministering to the wider world through missions work.  And that’s how it should be.

We have not been saved to indulge ourselves in the blessings and privileges of life in the Kingdom but to reach out to the needy world so that people know when the Church gets involved they are going to get the best and it will come with grace, love and kindness.

Serving as a way of life

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10: 45

Today I am feeling very thankful for the people who serve us. We went to play golf early this morning to avoid the hottest part of the day and, early though it was, people were clearing up the litter and glasses which had not been returned to the bar from the night before. The ladies room was freshly cleaned. Half way round I left a golf club behind in a bunker and one of the marshals went and got it for me. All these people were doing their job but they did it gladly and well and with a smile.

There was a television programme a little while ago when Michel Roux, a famous chef took on some young people and taught them how to serve in a restaurant. It was more than correctly laying a table or serving the food and wine in a certain way. It was an attitude – a delight in serving for the sake of serving.

As Christians, we too should aspire to serve and serve well. I love it when our churches get involved in community projects and show the love of Jesus in practical ways. It is good too when churches have people who love to serve and teach the younger generation how to do this as well. How nice it is when the youngsters are not the first ones in the queue for food but let others go first and when they help with the clearing or washing up.

So often young people aspire to be worship leaders or preachers and those are worthy aspirations but serving on the tech team, welcoming people, serving tea and coffee are acts of service to be encouraged.

A community of believers who seek to show Jesus’ compassion and serve others is a powerful testimony and is following in Jesus’ footsteps. He is the Son of God, the Lord of Lords and King of Glory yet he came not to be served but to serve by giving his life as a ransom for each one of us.  He is a marvellous example to follow.

Today let us thank God for all those who serve us and help make our lives easier. Let us renew our acts of service with enthusiasm and today if you have become discouraged in your service especially if you feel unappreciated, let God refresh you and help you recover the joy in serving.

Jesus loved Martha

We are all familiar with the story of Mary and Martha found in Luke 10: 38 – 42.  Martha ‘opened her home’ to Jesus and then got all caught up in the arrangements whilst Mary sat devotedly at his feet listening to him.

The same thing happened at a special dinner served in Jesus’ honour (John 12: 1 – 3) at their house in Bethany at the start of the Passover week.  Martha is serving (again), Lazarus is reclining at the table with Jesus and Mary is extravagantly and devotedly pouring her love out by anointing Jesus’ feet with expensive nard and wiping his feet with her hair.  This time Judas Iscariot complains about the cost and again Mary is commended for her devotion. 

Poor Martha – forever stuck in the kitchen.  However before we get carried away on a wave of sympathy for poor Martha, let’s take a look at the one other occasion the family is mentioned when Lazarus is sick (John 11).  The sisters send for Jesus who waits two days before setting off and in the meantime Lazarus dies.  However there is a very important verse slipped in here, ‘Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus’ (John 11:5).  It is obvious Jesus loved the whole family very much but note the order here – not devoted Mary, faithful Lazarus and, oh by the way, serving Martha.  Martha comes first and Mary is merely mentioned as her sister.  This story is all about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead yet Martha takes a central role in it. 

When Jesus finally sets off for their home knowing full well that Lazarus has died but that God would be glorified, the first one out to greet him is – Martha.  Naturally she chides Jesus for not being there to heal her brother but faith is not dead because she says, ‘But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask’(John 11:22). Jesus assures her that her brother will rise and she says that she knows that on the last day he will be resurrected. 

Then this wonderful exchange takes place, Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.  Do you believe this?’

‘Yes Lord,’ she told him, ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.’ (John 11: 25 – 26)

It is Martha who comes out with the profession of faith.  Martha who is always busy in the kitchen but she has faith.  Mary knows Jesus could have healed Lazarus but she does not have resurrection of the dead in her mind.  Martha does.

Too often people say they are a bit of a Martha by which they mean they prefer to be doing and serving rather than sitting at Jesus feet.  But Jesus loves Marthas and serving is no substitute for faith.   It is not serving or sitting at Jesus’ feet – it is both. Jesus loves Marthas and Marys.