Daily devotion – a servant or a ‘celebrity’!
There is a term now we often hear in relation to mega Church ministries – that is the term of ‘celebrity pastor’. I think most Christians are aware of this title or have heard it in relation to some popular religious figures.
It’s actually an oxymoron in its definition. An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two apparently contradictory terms, for example “cruel kindness” or the “deafening silence”.
The Greek roots that form the foundation of such a term a less flattering than the English:
Oxus -sharp
Moros – stupid
As we begin the Gospel of Mark this week, Mark’s Gospel depicts Jesus in a very clear role, that of a servant. The word pastor we all know is the term taken from that of being an overseer, a shepherd, as in John 10 where Jesus is described as the Good Shepherd who lays His life down for His sheep.
The term ‘celebrity pastor’ just reeks with everything that the role of a pastor is not in any shape or form. Ministry is serving and we have no greater example than our Lord and Saviour Jesus who the night of His betrayal, whilst His disciples argued about who was the most important or greatest disciple, wrapped a towel around Himself and washed their dirty feet.
Just as a lowly house servant would do to any guest arriving at his master’s house for a visit in that period.
Paul tells us in every greater detail what ministry, pastoring, being a shepherd looks like again in the life of Christ in his letter to the Philippian Church.
Philippians 2: 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
The great Apostle Paul never allowed anyone to place him or put him in the ‘celebrity pastor’ status, in fact he called himself the lowest of all slaves – a bondslave – Rom 1:1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus – this term bondslave – meaning – a slave, bondman, man of servile condition, a slave, metaph., one who gives himself up to another’s will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men, devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests.
This term was also used of those poor slaves who were the rowers in the below deck galleys of the Roman ships at that time – an under rower.
Let us be careful in these Last Days of glorifying men instead of glorifying God.
Isa 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Let Hollywood keep its celebrities and let the Church of Jesus Christ be filled with servants of the Lord.
Let us follow in our Saviour’s footsteps, that of being a servant and not seeking to be a celebrity!