Renovare notes cont'd - Servanthood

"'Servant' surprises us because it is so incongruent with the way itself, the way of salvation, a 'highway for our God.' The 'way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert' is a glorious affair, extravagantly glorious. But the agents God chooses to carry out this glorious work are inglorious servants." Eugene Peterson, The Jesus Way

Servanthood: Isaiah in the Exile and The Jesus Way - Dallas Willard

Notes:

• Servanthood leads us to forgiveness and mercy.
  
• We turn our kingdom over to God's kingdom
• The cross casts us off from the burden of self control.
• You can only serve out of abundance not out of scarcity
• In exile we learn the sufficiency of God
• Jesus spoke about a grain of wheat that must die to grow. How is our life like a grain of wheat that falls into a ground to bear fruit?
• In John's gospel, travelers from Greece asked Philip if they could talk to Jesus. Historically we conclude that they were hoping to invite Jesus onto the speaking circuit traveling around the Empire and spread his teachings. This was consistent with what other philosophers and teachers had done. Jesus' response to them was that he must die. He denies their request.