Bible Studies for Life
May 17, 2020
“Serve”
Galatians 5:13-15, 6:1-5, 10
Becky Brown

Continuing our look at words that foster healthy relationships, let us lean into service, pun intended. The more we lean into service, the less we lean toward self. “Others” focus encourages relationship health.

Jesus spent His ministry serving the Twelve. Step by dusty sandal step, He was intentional in pointing them upward and outward, away from inward and self-ward. He walked with them. He led by example. He taught with words. He loved them. He chose them. He promised heaven TO them, His presence WITH them, His perfect peace INSIDE them, His protection AROUND them and His prayers FOR them. When He stooped in The Upper Room to remove their sandals and wash their dusty feet, He did not rise and say, “Now, you wash mine.” Instead, He said they should now prepare to do this for one another. Washing feet was the warm-up act for His finest example of service. Within hours, Jesus would give His life for them on the cross as The Suffering Servant (see Isaiah 53). This is one of my favorite names for Jesus. Cuts me to my knees just to see it in print.

Paul wrote a letter to the people in Galatia, a region in Asia Minor which is modern day Turkey. His ministry there had been fruitful among them. Subsequently they were being deceived by folks who told them their salvation had to be brought back under the burden of the law. Paul had taught that their salvation was in Christ alone, needing no additional requirements added to it. In Galatians 5:7 (with my own personal trans-po-lation) Paul says, “Hey guys, you were running SO well on Truth Highway! What in the world happened? Who shot your horse right out from under you?!?!”

They had taken their eyes off the “service” ball and focused on the fruitlessness of attempting to fix themselves. What they had been taught by Paul had been challenged by the local “Error-ists.” The devastation was immediately obvious all over Galatia. Paul’s letter to them didn’t even take up space with his usual “grace and peace” greetings. He was in a theological hurry to get them back on the right track.

We were called to freedom. True freedom is found in serving one another with love. Those who serve will love well. Those who love will serve well. Fulfilling the law was a question answered perfectly by Jesus in Matthew 22. The Two Great Commandments are to love God and love your neighbor. In the keeping of these, the whole law is satisfied…every one of the ten commandments are fulfilled. Love and service are interchangeable word twins.

Paul urges the Galatians to spend time bearing the burdens of each another. He assures them that in the burden bearing, the law is fulfilled along the way. We are expected to help each other bear the unbearable burdens (Galatians 6:2). At the same time, we are to encourage each person to sustain his own load of personal responsibility (Galatians 6:5) . Service should never cripple people who are being served. Service should enable them to do their part to reach out and help others. True service does not restrict—it reprieves and revitalizes and reloads a refreshed servant to grab a basin and a towel to serve the next burden bearer.

People say, “Well, look at him. He has the gift of service. Isn’t that special?” Could it be that he does it with grace and ease, not only because HE IS gifted, but because he works at it every day. True Believers Serve. How can you improve YOUR serve?