Who Is a Disciple of Christ? (Part 4)
To be a true disciple of Jesus Christ, we must prioritize being a servant of all, loving and helping others without expecting anything in return, and be transformed to live an innocent and great Christian life.
K.P. Yohannan emphasizes that true discipleship involves serving others selflessly, following the example of Jesus, who came not to be served but to serve. He encourages believers to embody the spirit of servanthood by caring for, loving, and supporting others, even in the face of personal sacrifice and without expecting gratitude in return. Yohannan warns against the mindset that prioritizes self-preservation over helping others, urging that true transformation into Christ's likeness enables us to serve wholeheartedly. He reassures that with Jesus' help, we can overcome selfish tendencies and become genuine disciples. Ultimately, the call is to live a life dedicated to serving others, reflecting the love of God.
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The Gospel according to Mark says, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45.) Jesus is saying, "You have to understand one thing; God became a human with one desire. I don't wish for people to serve me, obey me, or take care of me, instead I want to serve others, to help them, to help them understand the meaning of the love of God, to rescue people from sin and make them the children of God. With this purpose I came to this world." beach-193786_1280 A person who has met Jesus should aspire intensely to be like Him.
The most important thought in his life should be to "be the servant of all". "Being the servant of all" means a lot. To care for others, to show mercy to them, to help them, to cooperate, to love, to bear with them, to encourage, to forgive, to pray, to cry, to wipe away their tears, to serve, to leave everything behind, to help others even if you don't hear a word of thanks, to be spent for them, to be for them until death, to live an innocent and great Christian life--this is the meaning of "being the servant of all".
Some reading this may think, "Sure, it is easy to write great things like this." Some others may find excuses and say, "You don't have anything better to do? Can anybody live on earth like this?" Once, a man allowed his camel to keep its nose in his tent. The camel first put his nose inside, then his head, then ears, later his neck, body, legs and tail. In this way, the camel came inside the tent and its master came out. In the same way, when we want to help someone, Satan puts the thought in our mind, "If you offer your little finger, he will take your hand; if you give your hand to him, he will take your neck.
Always take care of your life; don't help anybody beyond your limit." Dear friend, many people might have advised you like this. (Sometimes I used to think like this.) Because in return for the love we give, for the help, for the money we lend, for the words of encouragement, for wiping away tears, for giving money, many times we receive disgrace, scorn, misunderstanding and pain. In such situations we think, "I will live my life according to me; why should I interfere and help others?"
But Jesus Christ never thinks like this. This is the thought of a person who is obsessed with self. You may find it difficult to accept these thoughts. But Jesus Christ, the Son of God, can help us walk like He walked. We can love and help others irrespective of our loss or profit because we will be transformed like Him. For the same reason we can cooperate with others. This will become a part of our true nature. Then we will become the true disciples of Jesus Christ.
Sermon Outline
- The Call to Servanthood
- The Obstacles to Servanthood
- The Power of Transformation
- Jesus' help in walking like Him
- The development of a servant's heart
Key Quotes
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” — K.P. Yohannan
“Being the servant of all means a lot. To care for others, to show mercy to them, to help them, to cooperate, to love, to bear with them, to encourage, to forgive, to pray, to cry, to wipe away their tears, to serve, to leave everything behind, to help others even if you don't hear a word of thanks, to be spent for them, to be for them until death, to live an innocent and great Christian life--this is the meaning of 'being the servant of all'.” — K.P. Yohannan
“Jesus Christ never thinks like this. This is the thought of a person who is obsessed with self.” — K.P. Yohannan
Application Points
- We must prioritize being a servant of all and help others without expecting anything in return.
- With Jesus' help, we can be transformed to love and help others without expecting anything in return.
- We must let go of our obsession with self and prioritize others.