Love Songs for Servants

Week 2: God's Song of Delight

The first servant song announces God’s delightful love for Servant Jesus.  Right away, we can see that Jesus is no ordinary servant!  He is supported, chosen, delighted in, and clothed in God’s spirit. This servant is loved.  And this love crafts the heart of his care for others, for us.  Servant Jesus is not noisy, mean, or critical.  Rather, he is quiet, gentle, and encouraging.  His concern is for the easily overlooked and dismissed—the bruised reeds and dim wicks among us—so there can be justice for all the earth.

 

This song of God’s delight in Jesus gives us the hallmarks of Christian servanthood:   the how, the scope, and the spirit of love.

Scripture:

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
    my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
    he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry or lift up his voice,
    or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
    and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
    he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be crushed
    until he has established justice in the earth;
    and the coastlands wait for his teaching.       — Isaiah 42:1-4

  • Invitations:


    • As you read this week’s scripture, what especially speaks to you?
      What challenges you?
    • How do you define the word servant? Typically, we talk more about the doing of serving and less about how we are to be as a servant.  What would a servant job description read like if you used this song as its basis?  How does this description describe you?
    • Reflect on YOU as supported, chosen, delighted in, and clothed in God’s spirit.  How does this encourage you?

    • From this passage, what do you discover about:
       - God’s love for you and how you might love God in return?
      - Your love for your neighbor and how your neighbor might love you?
      - Your love for yourself?

  • Prayer:

    Jesus,

    Servanthood and loving others are hard, especially when I forget that you love and serve me first. Help me to be quiet and still enough to know your gentle, encouraging love for me. Show me ways to BE a servant and not simply DO service.  Amen.