Suffering Servant

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Suffering Servant

Mission   Deliverance

Justice   Salvation   Mercy

He Came To Serve

Ransom

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Mark 10:43 to 45

Whoever wishes to be first among you must be your servant.

The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.

Reflection

The prophet Isaiah tells us about a suffering servant who will take on the guilt of many. This suffering servant will bring redemption to the people. It is amazing when we read this part of Isaiah (Chapters 49 to 55) how it leads us to what Jesus has done even though it was written hundreds of years earlier.

The mission of the servant is to deliver the people from darkness and evil. We can all get caught up in doing the wrong things. It is easy for us to put our own needs first. We can forget about those who are struggling.

I was talking recently with a man who was sharing about a rare illness that his daughters were facing. He said during our conversation that he was aware that many others were facing much more difficult and challenging conditions.

I was impressed with his ability to put his own difficulties aside and to concentrate on the needs of others.

The servant comes to bring justice. We are all aware of the inequities in our world. We are so upset to see the many wars that are being fought, and we realize that a lack of true justice is often the cause. 

The suffering servant reminds us that each of us has an important role to play in working for justice. Many times, it might seem that our efforts are not bearing fruit. The pace of needed change seems far too slow for us. We can get frustrated.

Part of the suffering of the servant can be the lack of response from others. If we are working for justice, however, we stay committed to doing our best in reaching out and advocating for what is right.

The suffering servant comes to bring salvation. It is the good news that we are loved, and God will be with us and assist us as we try to reach out for others.

 

 God is merciful and knows that there will be times when we think more of ourselves than of others. A good example of this is found in the earlier verses from the Gospel of Mark quoted above.

James and John come to Jesus and ask for special places in the kingdom. Showing great patience and kindness, Jesus points out that this is not the path of the servant.

We are called to think less about ourselves and our own power and position. We are called to serve as Jesus did.

Through His loving service, which involved much suffering, Jesus ransomed us from our selfishness and lack of caring for others. Jesus showed us a different path, the path of the suffering servant. 

Jesus invites us to walk that path with Him each day of our lives and assures us that we will never walk it alone. He will always be with us and lead others to help us as well.

1. How do you try to avoid putting your own needs first?

2. What are some of the ways you work to bring more justice into our world?

3. How do you overcome the frustrations that we all face in trying to bring more justice to those in need?

4. What do you feel as you reflect on Kathy's photo?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)