A Concerned Servant: The Call for Humility

He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine.  Then he put the man on his donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.

Luke 10:34

The Good Samaritan compulsively went to the abused and suffering Jew.  He allowed the compassion he was experiencing to travel deep into his being to the point that he was moved to even greater action.  His compassionate compulsion led to action.  A servant places himself at the disposal of another for service.  His compassion could not remain at the depth of his heart. 

The Samaritan’s compassion led to self-subordination.  This subordination is the willful lowering of oneself to a level at or below one’s normal station of life.  The Old Testament concept of hesed depicts this voluntary, intentional self-subordination.  Hesed is passionate, undeserved loyalty to someone, especially from one in a superior position.  Hesed always involves action.  It cannot be simply a concept to envision.  Hesed is a concept to emulate and live out.   

Several prominent Old Testament examples of hesed are David and Mephibosheh (1 Samuel 9:7); and Ruth and Boaz (Ruth 3:10).

         The concerned, humble servant relinquishes self-interests.  Philippa Carter expressed this in the following manner:

“God now calls his people to become weak and oppressed in the sense that rights and privileges that may be claimed often are to be surrendered.”

         The concerned servant willingly makes connections with others.  As this occurs, self-interests voluntarily are relinquished and subverted.

            The concerned, humble servant elevates the interest of others.