Last Sunday evening we looked at the passage of Scripture where Paul tells the Church in Corinth that he is striving by all means to save some. He does this by attempting to be all things to all people.
“For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jew I became as a Jew, in order to win the Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” 1 Corinthians 9:19-23
Are we as Christians known as being servants of all? Are we known by our compassion? Are we known by our love? In some ways the world does have cause to be critical of Christianity. Not the teaching of Scripture, but by the way that we have at times portrayed ourselves.
Jesus spoke to his disciples of serving and being slaves to others:
“But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28
It is my prayer and I ask you to make it your prayer as well that we may become better slaves and servants to all. Why? So that others may come to know of Jesus Christ and understand the hope that we have found. May the world see the compassion of Christ in us. Not in any compromising way. Paul did not compromise the truth or condone sin in his ministry. But he served at great cost to his own life and health and comfort. May God take us out of our comfort zones and give us a greater heart for the lost all around us.