‘For he loves our people …’
Culture today prizes reaching for the top, striving to be the best; the biggest, the fastest, the most advanced, the most innovative and noteworthy. When hiring for such an organization, a search is made for persons to fulfill the role who are well educated; strong in their craft; highly motivated and sold out for reaching the top. Culture has ingrained these values into us to the extent that it seems the only goal there is.
Success is in no way wrong, but is this goal fulfilling? Is it not true that being at the top is often the loneliest place to be? Being at the top can be a lot about ‘me’, and once a person has reached the top, then what? I contend that as Christians, there is another goal–one that is more fulfilling enduring than all of these.
Luke 7:4 gives an account of a centurion who appealed to Jesus through some Jewish elders, to heal his slave. They gave this description of the slave, and Jesus complied with their wishes. “He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.” This servant’s motivation was his love for the people. This report about him is noteworthy.
I love Theodore Roosevelt’s words, ‘Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.’ As a worship leader, do you do what you do out of your great knowledge and love for music, or out a love for the people and a desire to lead them into intimate communication with Jesus?
As a pastor, do you do what you do out a love for the knowledge you have gained? Do you have a following of people that you want to keep growing, or do you love doing what you do because you love the people as Jesus loves his people and want to lead them into a growing relationship with him?
There is a huge difference between these two motivations. We as believers need to regularly ask ourselves why we want to do what we do? Is it so we can keep on doing what we are trained for, gifted at and love doing? Is it because we want to keep growing in our craft? These are not wrong, but need to be in tandem with the fact that first and foremost we love the people.
Without exception, Jesus’ motives were rooted in his unconditional love for his people. Even when he chastised people, it was for their embetterment. He is our model.
Phil. 2:3-5 … “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, “
Jesus no doubt resonated with this slave’s motivations to love his people. I am convinced that this is why this small report was documented in the word. Everything Jesus did while he walked on earth was motivated by his love and desire to see the best for others. His love for his people was so great, he chose to die for them.
Cultural motivations will continue to exert their pull on us, and that influence is not to be underestimated. The power of love, however, exceeds all else and cannot be overestimated. Let those of us who are followers of Christ, set the goal of caring for others as our highest motivation for 2024.
