BUILT TO SERVE (COLOSSIANS 3:22-25)
The St. Bernard dog is renowned for its rescue work. The males weigh 140-200 pounds, and a fit and trained dog can pull more than 3,000 pounds of load on wheels. Over the centuries, they have saved about 2,000 pilgrims traveling between Switzerland and Italy. The dogs were named after a monk living in the Alps from 1800 to 1812 who helped save more than 40 people.
With the advent of heat sensors and helicopters, however, the dogs’ usefulness is numbered. A Saint Bernard was last used in 1975. The religious order that raised them was forced to sell the dogs that had become a financial and physical drain. Upkeep is expensive and time-consuming. The dogs require weekly brushing, and more grooming during their twice yearly shedding.
The last St. Bernard dogs today live a cloistered, rather humdrum life in the monastery. On a good day, they are kept in metal cages on a bleak gravel lot outside. When foul conditions hit 245 days of the year, the dogs silently stare at visitors from glass enclosures inside the museum. There dogs do little besides walking 1 ½ to 2 hours a day. Today a visitor can pay seven Swiss francs ($5.55) to see the dogs. A sympathetic visitor sighs, “I find it heartbreaking. They seem to lack human affection though they seem well-cared for. It makes you want to kidnap the puppies…Life is in nature, not in a glass cage.” (“Saint Bernard Now Museum Pieces” Los Angles Times, Sunday Preview 9/25/05)
A question was asked: “What do you call a Christian who isn’t serving?” The answer is, “A contradiction” – just like an out of commission Saint Bernard. Serving God is one of the distinctions of a growing Christian. Simply put, there is no retirement in serving God and there is no spiritual growth without service. John E Hunter said, “God did not save you to be a sensation. He saved you to be a servant.”
As the pastor, I often hear complaints about the lack of workers, quality in service and members’ lackadaisical, listless and lethargic attitude. Today’s worship services do not begin on time. Moderators, ushers, churchgoers file in late, talk out loud, bring their drinks. Once, an absent-minded moderator turned up in flip-lops, T-shirt and shorts, dismaying the high church expectations in us. Further, some churchgoers like to hang out in the kitchen or nursery instead of coming into the sanctuary for worship.
What is flattering and unflattering service to God? What kind of attitude is acceptable and unacceptable? Who and why do we serve?
Serve with Passion and Power
22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, (Col 3:22-23)
As a student in seminary, my roommate had a job as a custodian with the school. After the first day on the job, he told he had been assigned to work on the first floor of a four storey building. “Basically there are four guys responsible for their own floors. I take care of the rooms and my responsibilities are to empty the trash, dust the place, mop the floors, clean the restrooms and sweep the corridors.”
One particular night at the end of the first month, Lucas returned home later than usual; in fact near 11 p.m. When I asked him why he was home so late, he answered, “We had some problems at work. Someone from the office filed a complaint. The supervisor was very unhappy and called all the four custodians to a special meeting.” I asked him out of curiously, “Oh, what is so important that you guys have to hold such a late nigh meeting? What was wrong?” My friend grinned sheepishly and said, “A dead roach was left on the staircase for a few days and no one swept it away.” How could that happened? He explained, “All the four of us just work on our own floors No one was responsible for the stairs.”
A Russian proverb says, “When two shepherds guard a sheep, it gets lost.”
The context of the passage for Paul’s admonition was the established social structure then, but his broader subject is the Christian attitude in service. Paul was not an activist ready to do battle against the injustice and yoke of slavery. Instead he challenges Colossae believers, slave or free, to serve not necessarily more efficiently or effectively, but more exceptionally and excellently – to do it for God.
What does it mean and why does Paul say “work at it with all your heart” (v 23)? The inferior way to serve is to obey when orders come from an outside source. The word “obey” (hup-akouo) in verse 22 literally means “to hear under (hupo),” not “go over the head.” It comes from two words – a preposition “under” is attached to the verb “hear” (akouo). “Hupo” is contrasted with “huper,” the Greek for “over,” and “obey” is contrasted with merely “hear” (akouo). Of course, Paul is not picking on slaves. This word “obey” is used previously in verse 20 of a child-parent relationship: “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” Further, as in Ephesians 6:1 and 6:5, each time before Paul exhorts slaves to obey their masters, he commands children to obey their parents. Quality Christian service is that which is offered and not ordered, joyful and not joyless, sweet and not sour. Like Ephesians 6:5, the phrase “sincerity of heart” defines a person’s service.
The inferior way to serve is to do it when subjected or under scrutiny. “Eye is on you” (ophthalmo-douleia) is literally “sight-labor” or “eye-service.” Again two words are joined together: ophthalmos (eye) and douleia (slaving), the work the slave (doulos) in verse 25 does. “Heart” is contrasted with the “eye.”
“To win their favor” (v 22) loses its Greek emphasis; “anthrop-areskos” is literally “man-” (anthropos) and “–pleaser” (aresko). Negative pleasing in the Bible includes pleasing men (Gal 1:10, 1:10, 1 Thess 2:4) and pleasing ourselves (Rom 15:1), but positive pleasing in the Scriptures includes pleasing God (Rom 8:8, 1 Cor 7:32, 1 Thess 2:15, 4:1, 2 Tim 2:4) and one’s neighbor, to build him up (Rom 15:2). The only exception for pleasing men is to seek the good of many, so that they may be saved. (1 Cor 10:33) Another potentially negative pleaser is pleasing one’s spouse at the neglect of the Lord’s affairs. (1 Cor 7:33-34)
What then is verse 22’s “sincerity (haplotes) of heart (kardia)”? Sincerity is from the word “single,” so sincerity of heart means single-mindedness, not double-mindedness or self-seeking, distracted with serving other people and affairs. It is translated four times in the Bible as generously (Rom 12:8, 2 Cor 8:2, 9:11, 9:13), thrice as sincerity (2 Cor 11:3, Eph 6:5, Col 3:22) and even once for holiness (2 Cor 1:12).
The other “heart,” in verse 23, is not kardia, but psuche, one’s being, spirit and soul – all in all.
Serve with Purpose and Perspective
24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Col 3:24)
Brother Lawrence, a 17th century lay brother and a good cook, spent most of his years in a monastery as a cook. He did not have the education necessary to become a cleric and his mundane duties included cooking meals, running errands and scrubbing pots, anything but changing the world.
Despite his lowly position, Brother Lawrence attracted a huge following no one could explain. His experiences and advice were later compiled in a small book “Practicing the Presence of God.” People often wondered how he could stand the chores and his superiors, but he said: “Nor is it needful that we should have great things to do. . . We can do little things for God; I turn the cake that is frying on the pan for love of him, and that done, if there is nothing else to call me, I prostrate myself in worship before him, who has given me grace to work; afterwards I rise happier than a king. It is enough for me to pick up but a straw from the ground for the love of God.”
Martin Luther King said it well: “Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve, you don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve, you don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve, you don’t have to know Einstein’s “Theory of Relativity’ to serve, you don’t have to know the Second Theory of Thermodynamics and Physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.”
Now we come to the words “inheritance” and “reward.” (v 24) The Greek word order is reward before inheritance - “reward of the inheritance.” Many politically-correct Christians cringe at the mention of rewards. They feel serving God for the sake of a reward is improper, inexcusable and inferior. So what is the reward (anta-podosis) they reject? This Greek word occurs only once in the Bible, but its closest root word is translated five times as “repay” (Luke 14:14, 14:14, Rom 11:35, 12:19, Heb 10:30), once as “return” (1 Thess 3:9) and “pay back” (2 Thess 1:6). Reward implies compensation for good behavior, but repay implies refund for safekeeping. A reward is a prize or a bonus offered to you, but a repayment is a payment or a loan returned to you. A repayment is about prorating, not about interest; it is the piggy bank way, not the free money inducement.
What is the reward then? Even with the slim distinction between reward and repayment, the reward/repayment is nothing more than the “inheritance” from the Lord whom you serve. What is inheritance (kleronomia)? In the gospels, it is used (in the parable of the vineyard) of a son’s inheritance (Matt 21:38, Mark 12:7, Luke 20:14) and of a man requesting Jesus to divide his family or two brothers’ inheritance (Luke 12:13). An inheritance, therefore, is promised to us by nature of our relationship to God as His children. God has given us the greatest inheritance in calling us His children. Further, there is a difference between eyeing and embracing the inheritance. By the way, the word inheritance implies it is for heirs only. The wonderful thing about slaves is that they are heirs in the kingdom of God.
The inheritance word, surprisingly, begins with God’s promise to Abraham (Acts 7:5, Gal 3:18, Heb 11:8). So the controversy over reward and inheritance is redundant, since the promise of the inheritance is made to Abraham, not us. We are mere participants and beneficiaries of the same inheritance, which is described as glorious (Eph 1:18), eternal inheritance (Heb 9:15) and never perishing, spoiling or fading (1 Peter 1:4).
Serve with Pride and with Principle
25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism. (Col 3:25)
The Master was searching for a vessel to use; on the shelf there were many - which one would He choose? “Take me”, cried the gold one, “I’m shiny and bright, I’m of great value and I do things just right. My beauty and luster will outshine the rest And for someone like You, Master, gold would be the best!”
The Master passed on with no word at all; He looked at a silver urn, narrow and tall; “I’ll serve You, dear Master, I’ll pour out Your drink, and I’ll be at Your table whenever You dine, My lines are so graceful, my carvings so true, And my silver will always compliment You.”
Unheeding the Master passed on to the brass, it was wide mouthed and shallow, and polished like glass. “Here! Here!” cried the vessel, “I know I will do, Place me on Your table for all men to view.” “Look at me”, called the goblet of crystal so clear, “My transparency shows my contents so dear, Though fragile am I, I will serve You with pride, And I’m sure I’ll be happy in Your house to abide.”
The Master came next to a vessel of wood, Polished and carved, it solidly stood. “You may use me, dear Master”, the wooden bowl said, “But I’d rather You used me for fruit, not for Bread!”
Then the Master looked down and saw a vessel of clay. Empty and broken it helplessly lay. No hope had the vessel that the Master might choose, to cleanse and make whole, to fill and to use. “Ah! This is the vessel I’ve been hoping to find, I will mend and use it and make it all Mine.” “I need not the vessel with pride of its self; Nor the one who is narrow to sit on the shelf; Nor the one who is big mouthed and shallow and loud; Nor one who displays his contents so proud; Not the one who thinks he can do all things just right; But this plain earthy vessel filled with My power and might.” Then gently He lifted the vessel of clay. Mended and cleansed it and filled it that day. Spoke to it kindly. “There’s work you must do. Just pour out to others as I pour into you.”
Paul addresses an important question: What if people take advantage and make light of you? What if I end up being the only one washing the dishes, mopping the floor and throwing the trash? Well, it is out of your hands and not your business, concern or priority.
There is no favoritism with God (v 25). The word “favoritism” (prosopo-lepsia) appears four times only in the Bible, all referring to God’s and not man’s power and prerogative to be impartial (Rom 2:11, Eph 6:9, Col 3:25, James 2:1). Only in God there is no double standard, unfair treatment or blind spot. The word is comprised of two words, the regular translation for the first one is “face” (
prosopon) and the second is “receive” (lambano), meaning to accept someone based on appearance, face or presence.
Injustice has its consequences, but Paul did not use the more serious words “revenge,” “reprisal” or “retribution.” Paul uses a lighter version: wrong (adikeo) or unrighteousness and not the more serious “sin” or the less serious “error” for three reasons. First, the slave does not get too sanctimonious, smug or self-righteous. Second, God is the best judge of man. He won’t make the issue bigger or lesser than what it is. Third, God sees right to the heart. His focus is on the service of the doer and not the wrongdoer, the opportunity and not offense in serving, the beauty and not its blemish. Looking at others robs one of the joy of serving – its motivation, meaning and moments.
Conclusion: Someone said, “I wondered why somebody didn’t do something; then I realized that I was somebody.” Serving men is troublesome, even torture. Serving men is a worthless, thankless and hopeless job, but serving God is a worthwhile, thankful and honorable experience. While serving God may not be pleasant, it is sweet, because God is deserving and desirous of our service.
Do you serve God or serve men? Do you compare with others, compete with others, or complain of others? Have you given a tithe of your working time to serve God? If you are not in a leadership position, will you serve God with your presence, participation and prayer? It’s been said, “90% of caring is showing up.”
