Commentary on "Gehazi: Missing the Mark"

RICHARD PEIFER

 

Day 2: Sunday, December 12, 2010 - Introduction (continued)

 

Overview

“How do we get the humility and the death to self needed in order to serve others? How do we learn to serve others with an attitude of seeking nothing back for ourselves?” (Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide, Oct. Nov. Dec. 2010, page 138)

Here is another quote from the same page of the quarterly: “Being a servant means primarily that one puts aside one’s own wants, wishes, and comfort and involves oneself totally in someone else’s life.” (The idea continues for the rest of the paragraph.)

 

Problems

Here is Paul’s suggestion:

“Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:1-8).

Do you see the difference? Do you also see why Paul preferred the word slave to the word servant?

There is a vast difference between getting “the humility and death to self needed to serve others” and having “this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.” The first requires taking the initiative – getting something. The second is purely a response to the overwhelming love and grace of God in Christ – having something.

Gehazi was concerned primarily with getting, and it caused all of his service to be tainted. The extent to which we get instead of receive is the extent to which our service will be tainted as well.

 

Summary

1. Striving to get the proper attitudes necessary for service will result in self-seeking rather than service.
2. By contrast, recognizing the encouragement in Christ, the consolation of love, the fellowship of the Spirit and affection and compassion will lead to faith expressing itself through love. This is the core of the servant’s heart.

 

GO TO DAY 3

 

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Official Adventist Resources

Standard Edition Study Guide Week 12

Teacher's Edition Study Guide Week 12

Easy Reading Edition Study Guide Wk 12

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