Luke 22 starts right before Passover with the chief priests and scribes wanting to have Jesus put to death, but they were afraid of doing it in front of the people. They needed an inside source to help them do it secretively at the right moment and Judas was there to provide the information they needed. Judas’ focus was obviously not on servanthood, but on what he could get out of each situation.
There was a very specific outline for the Passover dinner which had been practiced by the Israelites for centuries, Jesus changed it. Jesus had a very clear focus and heart of servanthood that was never shaken even to the point of a brutal beating and death.
Other Gospels discussed the controversy of the change, but Luke does not get into those details. The details he focuses on is that when Jesus professed someone was going to betray him, the disciples argued about who that person would be, V 23 and in V 24 they’re arguing who should be considered the greatest among them. Their focus didn’t seem to be on being servants. At that time society basically exalted the leader who would sit at the head of the table and not have to really do anything but enjoy himself. Jesus’ teaching was that if you want to be the leader, you are the number one servant, just as He had been.
Jesus’ teaching of how the first should be last was so important throughout his ministry and yet even the disciples continued to miss the importance of servanthood. Makes me wonder how often I truly miss being the servant in my life. Do I have a heart that truly wants to serve others, or am I just trying to get through each day providing what I need to help me “finish the day well”? If I get through the day, and haven’t served anyone, did I finish the day well? I do things every week for family, my Church, friends, clients and occasionally for people I really don’t even know. How many of these things would truly be considered serving rather than fulfilling my obligations and just being helpful? I believe overall, I’m probably doing pretty good. I’m sure the disciples thought the same thing, and yet it seems like they were so far off. They might’ve manipulated themselves to think they were doing better than they really were, which fueled they’re petty arguments.
One of my main prayers every morning is that I don’t deceive myself, that God would enlighten me to the truth about myself, so I don’t hide my sin from me. So, I don’t hide my selfishness from me. The day races by so quickly each and every day. I have discovered it’s easy as I race through each day that maybe I lose my focus sometimes. I am continually praying throughout each and every day for God to help me keep my focus on Him which will help me recognize the opportunities of serving that I should not miss. I hope I not only see those opportunities but that I also be the servant God desires me to be in those moments when they arrive. I’m sure I’m also like the disciples were, completely missing what others may see as obvious.