Serving God’s World: it’s what we Get to Do

By Bishop Brian Maas
“Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matt 25:40)



This well-known line from the judgment of the sheep and goats at the end of Matthew’s gospel is a persistent reminder for us to be mindful of the otherwise invisible—the imprisoned, the hungry, the poor, the sick. Too often, however, it becomes a primary motivation, conscious or unconscious, for all the serving we do as Christians. We want to be sheep, not goats. We want to serve others so we avoid judgment. That’s not a bad thing in and of itself—it’s great to aspire to be sheep. But when our goal is just not to be goats, our serving of others becomes a matter of Law, not Gospel. It’s something we’ve got to do. Because we’re supposed to. Because we should. Because we don’t want to end up in hell.

This is not Jesus’ intent in the parable—and I don’t think anyone brings a healthier, clearer, more Gospel-centered lens to it than good old Martin Luther. While not speaking specifically of this parable, he writes in his great work The Freedom of a Christian, “The Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. The Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.” That paradox sums up perfectly what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. There’s nothing we have to do to earn our salvation—nothing we can do. Jesus took care of it. And because he did, we’re free to do anything we want. Our salvation is in bondage to no one.

SO, because we’re saved and free, we get to choose freely what we do in the world. As those redeemed and set free by Jesus Christ, our faith leads us to only one response: gratitude, expressed in serving others. All others, all the time. Not as doormats, but as faithful servants. Not to be taken advantage of, but to be the hands and feet of none other than Jesus Christ, active in the world.

Put another way, serving others—Serving God’s World—is not something we’ve got to do, but something we get to do, as partners with God in bringing the world a little closer to the vision of the Kingdom. Only God can finally reveal the Kingdom, but we can help others get a glimpse of it; a glimpse of a place where suffering is lessened, hunger is no more, and people dare to live in harmony and hope. 

So as those who live out the mission of the Nebraska Synod: Growing Disciples, Walking Together, Serving God’s World, we get to serve, we get to be God’s partners, we get to celebrate our liberating salvation by sharing it with others, in loving, humble, and caring service. It’s our call, our gift, our privilege. Set free from all the world’s “got to’s,” serving becomes our primary “get to.” 

Thanks be to God!

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