Tuesday, March 10

Scripture: Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord’s command. (Deuteronomy 34:5).

Observation: Having finished his farewell address, blessed the tribes of Israel and given them stern warnings about the consequences of not following the law, Moses climbs to the top of Mt. Nebo, takes a last look at the land promised to his people yet he is forbidden to enter, and breathes his last. The final title that Deuteronomy uses to describe the role and significance of Moses is “servant of the Lord.” The Torah (the first five books of the Bible) uses multiple titles for Moses. He is explicitly called a prophet (Deuteronomy 34:10), a “man of God” (Deuteronomy 33:1), and a judge (Exodus 18:13), and as a function of his ministry, he’s also a mediator between God and the people, a law-giver, a freedom-fighter, and a shepherd. But only one title may have the privilege of having the last word over who Moses is, and the privilege is given to “servant.” Who is Moses? First and last of all, Moses is a servant of the Lord. The leading, preaching, judging, instructing, ruling, fighting, and shepherding of the legendary Moses of Israel, Prince of Egypt, arises out of his one primary calling: servant of the Lord.

Application: The gravestone marking where Billy Graham was laid to rest is inscribed with the title “Preacher of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Billy Graham’s ministry, influence, and significance in history was more than his preaching, but all of it stemmed from his preaching. First and last of all, the man was a preacher of the gospel. In the same way, Moses was more than his service to the Lord, but all of it stemmed from his core identity of being a servant of the Lord. Also in the same way, being a disciple of Jesus leads to endless varieties of ministry: mercy, forgiveness, friendship, parenting, marriage, loving the poor, being a good neighbor, healing the sick, caring for the dying, to name a few. But all of these ministries arise from the core identity of “servant of the Lord.” First and last of all, a Christian is a servant of the Lord, and our Lord is Jesus. A Christian serves, plain and simple. There’s no following Jesus without serving like Jesus; no claiming Jesus without serving like Jesus; no integrity in wearing the title of Christian without serving like Jesus. May it be said of every Christian when it is our time to leave this mortal coil, like it was said of Moses, that here was a servant of the Lord.

Prayer:

The prayer today is an African American spiritual and one of my favorite songs in the United Methodist hymnal. Here’s Lord, I Want to Be a Christian.

Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart, in my heart;

Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart.

In my heart, in my heart,

Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart.

Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart, in my heart;

Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart.

In my heart, in my heart,

Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart.

Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart, in my heart;

Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart.

In my heart, in my heart,

Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart.

Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart, in my heart;

Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart.

In my heart, in my heart,

Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart.