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“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  Mark 10:45 (NIV)

“Life is so unnerving for a servant who’s not serving. He’s not whole without a soul to wait upon…” These words were not words of anyone famous; at least, not exactly. They were words from a song featured in the Disney cartoon Beauty and the Beast, in a scene where Belle walks into the castle’s dining room and is greeted by tea pots and cups, dishes, cutlery, napkins and candle sticks. After being in cupboards for over ten years, they could not hold back their excitement to have Belle as their guest, or, in other words, to serve her with all of their might, joy and meaning.

I am a lover of children’s movies, especially cartoons, and Beauty and the Beast is one of them, for not just the story that it tells, but also for the music it offers for the delight of our ears. So, when listening to the song “Be Our Guest,” I could not help but notice that those household items were in reality sharing with those watching the movie the significance of servanthood. For vessels which were made to serve, being tucked away in cupboards without being put to use was like a slow death sentence, a loss of life meaning, somewhat like crossing a parched and arid desert on foot and without carrying water.

When Jesus was on this earth, He spent the bulk of His time serving those around Him. He wasn’t out and about shopping, taking vacations or kicking back, sipping coconut water under a palm tree while munching on dates, plums and pomegranates. Jesus was washing people’s feet, healing their physical and spiritual bodies, calming storms, and performing other miracles. He did all those things for the good of others, never for His own good. Jesus was a servant leader, and serve He did.

We sing songs about being more like Jesus, and yet we often forget how to serve. In the example of cartoon kitchen appliances, I was reminded that to be like Jesus is to serve others as if serving was our primary mission in life, as it was in His.

“Lord, thank You for modeling servanthood to Your children.”

For His Glory

Luska Suzano
TRBC Women’s Life