Service

To be Christ-like is to serve others. Service can be an individual act of kindness or selflessness. Even small acts in the service of others can make a tremendous difference. Can you think of a time that someone's willingness to help had an impact on you?

Of course service is not only an individual act. The Christian commitment to serving others has the power to change structures and systems. In this passage in Matthew, Jesus makes clear to James and John that in his kingdom the usual hierarchies will be upended, familiar patterns turned on their head. This presses us to ask questions about the structures of status and power that surround us today. What would our world look like if the service of others was at heart of our policies, economies and institutions?

Jesus, you came not as powerful ruler but as a servant. You placed yourself amongst those at the margins. Help us to live out your call to service. Help us especially to serve the poor and those excluded from power. Help us to work together for change that we may better serve one another. Amen.