To return from my digression about cigars, laundry and women's ordination in Part II., some of these ideas about servanthood came home for me this last week when we spent a number of days in TN/GA with Kelly and Tabitha Kapic, dear friends from our seminary days. Timed with my sabbatical, we planned a trip months and months ago. Recently, Tabitha was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and needed to have major surgery- as of right now the surgery seems to have "gotten" all the cancer. While in TN/GA, Tabitha was recovering from the emotional and physical trauma of her operation and being a victim of cancer, tired and without much energy. We had great conversation with our friends but then a portion of our time was spent mowing the lawn, trimming bushes, watching their two little children, doing some laundry and unpacking some bags from a recent trip their kids had been on while mom underwent surgery. 
I go back twenty years and cringe to think about how an unregenerate Mike Hsu would have thought about the value of a week like this last one. I get into that devil of a man's thoughts and they go something like this: "I could have done yard work and watched kids back home. Why did we pay for airline tickets to do that?" Romans 3:10-12, "As it is written: 'There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.'” By the grace of God, I am growing to hate that old guy who used to be me. 
As I mowed my friends' lawn and trimmed their bushes (and listened to Pavarotti on my Ipod- splendid!), my heart was filled with so much happiness and joy because I knew in a small way my friends would be blessed whether in Kelly coming home from work and seeing clean lines in his yard or Tabitha being less concerned that the yard had "slid" for a few weeks (cancer does consume a lot of energy and attention and take you away from regular routines, you know?) I loved every minute of being able to serve my friends in very small ways. I cry almost thinking about it- remember, this is a guy who isn't very good at serving. Thank you Jesus. To follow some thoughts from Part II., I know I’m a pastor-elder with “authority in the church.” But the really good stuff in God’s economy/Kingdom is serving someone else’s agenda. I don’t think in a redeemed Kingdom-hierarchy, apart from office and function, that ANYONE is ever truly kept from the “good stuff.” You know what I'm saying? Kinda?
I love Hebrews 5:7-9: "During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him."
It's interesting to me that in the first part of those verses, Jesus was heard by God because of His "reverent submission." In other words, though being equal with God He sought after inequality, to become "less than God by doing His will." In the second part, Jesus is described as Himself "learning obedience from what He suffered," that Jesus perfectly laid down His life for us but that He "learned to do so" as well. I wonder if the marvel in these verses is that before His incarnation, Jesus, the eternal God of the universe, second person of the Godhead, never had occasion, opportunity or reason to submit Himself to anyone or anything. After all, He was the pre-existent God from all eternity right?! that now in the accomplishing of the Father's perfect will, Jesus was traversing new terrain, that even Jesus had to learn submission and obedience to the will of the Father?!
My friends, forgive me if I have offended any of you in this three-part series. I love the people of Grace Chapel. I don't want to offend. Know that this conversation remains an open one among the leadership of Grace Chapel. So let me close this lengthy series by saying this- in my own life here are the things I truly want to learn: to delight in submission, obedience, embracing inequality and true servanthood. In mowing my friends' lawn (it was a huge lawn by the way!), I had one of those aha moments, that I was created for this, that my life only made sense insofar as it was being poured out for others, not seeking to take it up instead laying it down. Jesus once talked about someone losing his life for His sake and as a result, finding it. I've been a follower of Jesus Christ for almost twenty years. I think I'm beginning to find my life. If anyone, man or woman, wants my vocational call, go for it (really)! However, I would rather be less than all women and most men. So let me have it. Really. The Kingdom privilege is all mine.
1 comment:
Amen.
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