We need to know what people need

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."

Luke 22:42 (TNIV)

How did Jesus set such a good example of service? It is partly because of his extraordinary love for other people, and his ability to put this love into practice without worrying about how to meet his own needs. Jesus trusted God to provide for his physical and emotional needs in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11), to provide wisdom and authority as he taught, and spiritual power as he worked. Ultimately Jesus trusted God to address his need for self-preservation against death – we see this need expressed in Jesus’ prayer in Luke 22:42, and we see the trust expressed in Jesus’ submission to death on the cross.

But Jesus also knew that service was not about doing good things he wanted to do, but knowing and meeting the needs of others. He became famous for this, and this is why crowds followed him even though not all were committed to obeying – people wanted their needs to be met and thought Jesus could do this for them. Let’s look at some examples in Luke’s gospel:

• Luke 2:46 – even aged 12, Jesus met teachers’ need for closeness to God with the sharing of wisdom
• Luke 2:51 – Jesus then met his parents’ needs not to worry with obedience
• Luke 4:31 – Jesus met people’s needs to hear clearly from God with authoritative teaching
• Luke 4:33-41 – Jesus met many people’s physical needs with healing sickness and casting out demons
• Luke 5:1-11 – Jesus met the needs of disciples to trust with a miraculous provision of the fish they sought
• Luke 5:27-6:10 – Jesus met the needs of Pharisees to be challenged by eating with tax collectors, and gathering grain and healing on the Sabbath
• Luke 7:1-10 – Jesus met the need of a centurion by healing his son, but also used to the opportunity to meet the needs of many others to find faith by praising the centurion for his faith.
• Luke 7:36-50 – Jesus met the need of a sinful woman to show love and find forgiveness by letting her bless him, and at the same time met the need of Pharisee to know God by explaining debt forgiveness
• Luke 8:1-15 – Jesus met the needs of a rural community by explaining God’s kingdom in farming terms
• Luke 8:24 – Jesus met the needs of his disciples for safety and freedom from fear by stopping a storm
• Luke 8:49 – Jesus met the need of people to trust in the right leadership by healing a dead girl
• Luke 9:1 – Jesus met the need of disciples to grow and develop by giving them power and responsibility
• Luke 9:16 – Jesus met the need of people to trust in God’s provision by thanking heaven for loaves & fish
• Luke 9:41 – Jesus met the need of people to find their own faith by rebuking them before healing a boy
• Luke 9:51 – Jesus met the need for his disciples to know God’s will by rebuking their odd suggestion
• Luke 10:1 – Jesus met the need for people to learn by giving more responsibility, even after mistakes
• Luke 10:41 – Jesus met Martha’s need to be understood by acknowledging her worry and comforting her
• Luke 11:37-54 – Jesus met the need of comfortable Pharisees to be disturbed by challenging them
• Luke 12:22-34 – Jesus met the need of his challenged disciples to be encouraged by reassuring them
• Luke 14:25 – Jesus met the need of people to control their lives by illustrating the cost of following him
• Luke 15 – Jesus met the need of people to understand God by explaining the kingdom in familiar terms
• Luke 17:23 – Jesus met the need of disciples to know what is coming by warning them against deception
• Luke 18:22 – Jesus met the need of a ruler to change by setting him the hardest personal challenge
• Luke 18:29 – Jesus met the needs of disciples to be reassured with a faithful, encouraging promise
• Luke 20:3 – Jesus met the need of chief priests to be challenged by asking them a pertinent question
• Luke 20:46 – Jesus met the need of disciples for clear leadership with a warning against bad teachers
• Luke 22:24-30 – Jesus met disciples’ need for importance by explaining true greatness and service:

“A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. You are those who have stood by me in my trials. And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

Luke 22:24-30 (TNIV)

To consider and pray throughout today

• How ready am I to serve? Do I know what the people around me need?