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Ministers
to Jesus
Mark 15:37-41
Vs. 40 There were also women looking on from a distance,
among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger
and of Joses, and Salome. 41 When he was in Galilee, they followed
him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came
up with him to Jerusalem.
When Jesus was on the cross, Mark mentions that there were
women looking on. These women didn’t just see Jesus for the first
time from a distance while he was crucified. Mark says that they
were with Jesus back in Galilee during his ministry. They followed
him and ministered to him.
They followed Jesus. Wherever Jesus went, they went.
This was demonstrated in the passage. Jesus was on the cross,
they followed even then. They probably understood more than the
apostles of what it meant to follow Jesus at that time.
They also ministered to Jesus. This is a different use
of the word we’re not used to seeing. We usually ask God to
minister to us, or for a church to minister to us. But to minister
to Jesus?
The word that is translated “minister” is the Greek verb
diaconeo. The root of that word is where we get the Greek noun
diaconos, which is where we derive the English word “deacon”.
These women were deacons to Jesus? In a way, yes.
When you look to what the original ordained deacons did, they
served and cared for the believers. They ministered to the
believers. That is what these women did for Jesus. Luke 8:3
mentions women who ministered to Jesus out of their means. In other
words, if they had anything that belonged to them that Jesus needed, they
would give it to Jesus to care for him.
Following Jesus is tough. But to be his minister?
That’s even tougher. It involves giving of yourself for
Jesus. Most importantly, it involves love.
Jesus says he did not come to be served, but to serve.
He’s using the same word, diaconeo. Jesus is King. He
is Lord. But yet he says he came to serve, not to be served.
These women were served by Jesus. They were cared for.
They were healed. They were saved. Whether they were a
prostitute, a leper, or demon possessed, they were ministered to by Jesus
by being healed and forgiven. They experienced love. Their
natural response was to love back. They followed Jesus because they
loved him. They ministered to Jesus because they loved him.
How do we minister to Christ? We must first ask
ourselves, do we love Jesus? Have we been saved from our own
brokenness in sin by the blood of Christ? Have you
experienced his love? If so, is your response to love him back?
If not, maybe you don’t quite understand how much you need him.
If you do love him back, then follow him. Go
where he has called you to go – to go and preach the Gospel to the
nations. Minister to him wherever you are. The Church is the
body of Christ. When you minister to believers, you minister to
Jesus. When you provide food, a place to stay, a ride to Church,
visit in times of need for a fellow believer, you minister to Jesus.
Even when you give your offerings to your church so they can pay
their bills and mortgage, you are ministering to Jesus. And while
you’re doing this, you do it because you love Jesus. Not because
you want glory, attention or fame. You simply want to follow and
minister to the one who saved you.
PRAYER
Lord, remind us of your amazing love which was shown in the
way you ministered to us on the cross. Let your love inspire us to
follow you and minister to you in this world.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
We follow Jesus even
if we have to suffer for it. We minister to him even if we have to
give of our own selves for his church. We follow Jesus and minister
to Jesus because he loved us, and we love him.
Rev. Alex George
Kolath, Immanuel MTC, Virginia
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