serving: the reflection of God

At the top of the list of things the prophet Micah reports as divine requirements is “to act justly.” we’ve summarized that term in the word “serve,” because i feel it reflects the heart of God, as demonstrated through His Son Jesus Christ whose acts of justice were found through his serving.

Jesus sets his purpose plain in Mark 10:45 when He said, “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Hebrews 1:3 tells us that the Son is the exact representation of the Father, just as Jesus Himself told Thomas and the disciples, “if you have seen me, you have seen the Father” (John 14:9). Then, as i once heard Erwin McManus conclude in a Q&A session, the chief description of God would be a Servant.

So what does it mean to act justly?

Essentially, to act justly is to not only to live according to God’s righteous character and commands, but to bring this state of justice into the lives and relationships of others. Then, to act justly, you would have to enter someone’s injustice.

This is reflected in Jesus’ life and ministry. In reading the prophet Isaiah, Jesus read His divine purpose, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18-19)

To enter someone’s injustice is not easy. It’s not clean. It’s not going to fit your schedule with a start and end date. Formulas and plans often end up out the window. People suffering from the chains of injustice are right where Satan wants them. Entering into injustice is like trying to break someone out of the enemy’s dungeon—expect a fight.

This is why we stress the end before the beginning in the Micah 6:8 ministry strategy – if you’re not walking humbly with your God, and if you haven’t got a good understanding of mercy, you can’t act justly. Jesus set this example through His earthly ministry.

In accomplishing the prophetic mission, Jesus’ mercy was evident (several requests for Jesus’ healing began with “have mercy”); and his words and actions were according to the will of God as determined through prayer and His humble walk with His Father. He said, “For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it” (John 12:49) and "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.” (John 5:19-20).

Then, again, God must be a servant, The Servant--and His people ought to be about His business of serving to reflect His love and character.

In future blogs, i’ll share a few of our experiences in the desire to act justly. We don’t have this all figured out. It’s person by person, learn as you go, trial and error, grace and mercy. Many have paved this road ahead of us and offer a legacy of wisdom. Sojourner Truth, William & Catherine Booth and the original Salvation Army, Mother Teresa and the sisters of charity in Calcutta, countless missionaries, and i would add Kurt Salierno and his co-laborers in Atlanta (www.churchonthestreet.com).