The Conduct of Kings – The Crown of Servitude
During the period of time, after the Lord had blessed the cup and the bread, turning them into His flesh and blood, by His Word, and the Lord had told them:-
Lk 22:21 …the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table.
It is written - Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. You are those who have stood by me in my trials. And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me” Luke 22:24-29
This was just after He had washed their feet in Jn 13 where He washed their feet saying:-
“I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” Jn 13:16-17
By this one inference in Lk 22 – to settle their disputes – He likened them as to the Kings of the Gentiles – that is, He was saying they too are kings, kings of the Kingdom of Heaven – kings in the Empire of God’s Dreams. Though we are servants, we are in fact serving kings, that is kings who serve as servants, even to the point of washing the feet of their subjects – not as a realistic symbolism but as an actual act of servitude to satisfy what was needed. What was needed was the 12 needed their feet washed before supper – what a contrast to Lk 7:36 when Jesus was dining at the Pharisee’s house – when Simon the Pharisee did not even give Jesus some water to wash His feet.
Lk 7:44 …I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
How often is Jesus invited into the hearts of people so that He could meet their needs and the needs of Jesus are presumed to have been met because after all He is the Son of God. The conduct of the Kings of Kings are not to be like the conduct of the Kings of the Gentiles – and neither are they to be like the so called leaders of the religious establishment – who invites Jesus into their presence, so that He could meet their needs – perhaps to do a miracle or two, like Herod was demanding – or to give them a sign or two. It was the sinful woman who gave the sign – not Jesus – it was her weeping and wiping the feet of Jesus with her hair and kissing the feet – that was the sign and wonder – and she was the one who provided the sign that made the people comment – not Jesus. In fact, the washing of the feet by Jesus in Jn 13 was an example. Following the work of that sinful woman who saw the needs of Jesus and met it.
Likewise, we who desire to be fully trained as disciples to take up our kingship – need to see the needs of Jesus and minister to Him – and the needs of our fellow disciples and minister to them – not as Kings of Gentiles – for as surely as they had it over those they reign over – the Kings of Gentiles can only do what is possible for a man to do. No Kings of Gentiles can do what a King of the Kingdom of God can do – that is, the impossible. For the Kingdom of Heaven is the Kingdom of the Impossible. Jesus came into their midst and continually did the impossible amongst them – with His signs, wonders and miracles – which were not performed to Lord it over anyone but to serve those who belonged to the Kingdom – miracles do not happen so that you may Lord it over those you are to reign over – miracles are given to help you serve those you reign over.
In Jn 13:14-15 Jesus said - Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
An example of servitude – which is one of the crowns of the Lord, revealed to us – which is one of His crowns of suffering – for He suffered on the cross to meet the need of a sin offering for the Father’s righteous judgment on men and the need for mercy, for those who rightly deserved God’s judgement. Thus the Command to “Love one another as I have loved you” is a command that rests in the realm of the miraculous and the impossible – not in the realm of what is possible with men – yet the Lord also did what was possible with men, as a sign to show the disciples the true meaning of servitude.
The sinful woman who anointed Him in Lk 7 did what was possible for her – humbled herself to meet the needs of Jesus with what she had – perfumed with an alabaster of perfume, washing the dirt away with her tears and drying them with her hair – the perfume, tears, hair and her lips was what she had and she ministered unto the Lord whole heartedly – she was not out to impress the Pharisees and she was not after a reward. To Jesus, this sinful woman is the standard by which Jesus humbled Himself to wash the feet of the disciples. She had no miraculous powers or gifts of the Holy Spirit nor any anointing by which she could use to minister unto the Lord – but she had an alabaster of perfume, her tears and her hair and her lips and they would have to be enough.
But to the twelve – Jesus had given them …authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness (Mt 10:1) and the had gone out in that authority and were witnesses of the impossible things they had done in His Name – and when Jesus sent out the 72 in Lk 10:17, they came back reporting …"Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." Now at the end of the time of teaching in Lk 22:35-36 …Jesus asked them, "When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?" "Nothing," they answered. He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.”
Jesus helped them recall the impossible things that had happened to them and that they had done – and then, now at the preparation of their being sent out – He reminds them of the impossible – but take the possible with them – a purse, a bag, a sword… For we are to minister not just with what is possible for all men to do – give alms, fast and prayer – to also to do what is impossible for men to do, with what we have.
It is possible for a king to Lord it over those they serve – but it is a far cry for a king to serve his people as Jesus washed His disciples’ feet in the manner of the sinful woman, who met the needs of those the should Lord it over. It is this attitude of conduct that is needed in your heart for kingship and its associated power and authority to manifest – because the kings of the King of Kings are those who serve as their King serve – and our King served us by doing the impossible with what He had, and likewise, we are to do what He did – that is to do the impossible with what we have, in order to serve – not to reign. It is only when you are serving those who are before you with what you have – your fellow disciples, that the full power to do the impossible will be unleashed to you – now, how much practise of the Words of Jesus does that take – who knows, except Jesus and the only way you can answer that question is to practise until you are allowed success – that is why this called for patient endurance for the saints.
Jesus said, as early as Jn 8:31-32 "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Likewise we must hold onto the teachings of Jesus here in constancy of practises – and if you practise you will fail, you will get frustrated, angry, and you will feel like giving up – for they are the signs of practise. A person who has never failed has never practised because whenever you practise, failures must out number successes – instant success requires no practise, failures must out number successes – instant success requires no practise, so instant success tells me you have not held onto the teachings of Jesus who said “Practise” However, if you show me failure, frustration and anger at the lack of result – you show me that you have practised – and having practised you can eventually expect success – but never instant success.
So in order to now reassess our position – for what we are called to do – have we received what it takes to do, what Jesus wants us to do – have we received the ability to do the impossible in our lives and have we been made witnesses, that impossible things happen in our lives and we are faced with doing even more impossible things.
The angel who gave the news to Mary that she was with child, though she was a virgin testify to us - For nothing is impossible with God. (LK 1:37) and Jesus Himself said in Lk 18:27 "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
Have we been made witnesses and doers of the impossible here – that is that which is not naturally possible for you to do – to see and hear – and the answer us yes – without any doubt, it must be a resounding yes. Then the Words of Jesus must continue and continue to operate – “To those who have, more will be given, until they have more than enough.”
Servants are given a few denarius – it is the kings who are given cities to rule over – but it was the faithfulness of the servants to make use of what they had that afforded them the promotions to rulers of cities (Lk 19:11) – likewise, now we who have been given a few denarius of the impossible things of God – when we are ready to serve, as Jesus served, we will receive the authority and power to rule over cities, for the Word of the Lord is Truth.
What comes next? It is what comes when the New Covenant of the Lord is operated by kings who serve, not the Lord – kings who are fellow disciples, who love one another as their King has loved them. And it is to such a king we will look – not just in Jesus, but a man, who is like us – Joshua, the king of Israel who never was called a king. A man who saw that with God, nothing is impossible – though He said nothing – but Caleb spoke up in Nu 13:30 "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it." He was spared, alongside with Caleb, when God struck down those who spread the report of the land and caused Israel to crumble in Nu 14:36.
We have explored the promised land – we are like the 12, we have seen impossible things and we see the enormity of the task before us – but it is Joshua and Caleb, who must be our peers now – to service the desert and raise up the new generation, who does not want the religious hypocrisy of old, but to take up the New Covenant at its best and take Jericho – with God’s help and if God will not help, then die trying rather than go back to the desert.
Last week God showed you how He used the fear and pride of the Jerichoans to bring them down at the destruction of their wall. In Jos 6 you will read that the Israelites marched around the city – once for 6 days and then returned to camp and nothing happened. Then on the 7th day, they did what they had done the last 6 days, except instead of doing it once, they did it 7 times. Imagine what was going through the hearts of the Israelites and Joshua – nothing happened the last 6 days – what is so different about today – except we are marching 6 times more than we have ever done – so what? Will God do something? – well, God said He would do something:-
"See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in." Jos 6:2-5
Joshua was a king who was prepared to do all he was instructed and then see what God would do to deliver Jericho into his hands – for God did not tell Joshua what He would do –after Joshua obeyed. Joshua was given the instructions and he carried them out totally ignoring the words of the people. Why do I say ignoring? – because nothing is recorded of whether the Israelites grumbled like their forefathers. If they grumbled, we do not know – in fact, it would appear, it was irrelevant.
Likewise in your Kingship, you have your command from God and the Promise – and as we fulfill it, day by day in the order of days, like Joshua did – we will come to the 7th day, where with a sevenfold effort, the impossible will happen.
That is why, now do not loose heart though it is understandable to loose heart for the apostle Paul reminds us of our forefathers who have laboured without seeing or hearing what we see and hear today - These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. (Heb 11:39-40) “Only together with us” - this is not a one man show – not a lone wolf’s ministry – but a ministry that can only be done, if the first commandment is fulfilled – “Love one another as I have loved you” by those whose desire is to serve, not as servants, but as Kings of the King who came as a servant Himself.
So do not loose heart – and I say that to myself, for we have not yet suffered as our forefathers have suffered, yet we are already benefiting from their hard work.
Heb 11:32-38 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
So what we must do as we stand outside our Jericho – what can we do that can exceed what was in Joshua’s heart of youthful endurance and obedience – we will march, we will shout as they did – but if the walls do not come down, then we will fling ourselves upon those walls to bring them down or be killed by the walls – but it will not be written that we were slain by our enemies for our Lord has said:- "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters–yes, even his own life–he cannot be my disciple.” (Lk 14:26)
We have to make the breakthrough – there is no choice. We cannot fail because the desert is behind us, and the manna has stopped or will stop. We must take the land and eat of it or we will perish. So like the Israelites who have already marched around 6 times on 6 days and nothing has happened, let us redouble our efforts and march out for 7 times on the 7th day and shout because we serve He who is Faithful and True – and our families are waiting – our brothers and sisters are waiting for us to make the breakthrough and stop the perishing. If such is the attitude of you who desire to be crowned King of the King of Kings – the crown of servitude is yours.
