Humble service

We want people to like us.
We want people to understand us.
We would like to be well thought of.
We would enjoy a life of ease and privilege.

As we hear in today’s readings, God calls us to something else – something better.

God calls us to humble service.

God calls us to service that is totally for the good, yet is often misinterpreted for ill by a sinful world (as was the case for Jeremiah in today’s first reading – Jeremiah 18:18-20).

God calls us imitate his Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Chist, as he tells us in today’s Gospel (Matthew 2:17-28):

Whoever wishes to be great among you
shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you
shall be your slave.

You and I need to think about all the ways in which we could serve more, the ways in which we could become even more humble, and the ways in which we could better reflect Christ in what we do and in what we say.

Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.