Why serve?

Why serve?  It's what Christians do.  We do good.  We help others. 
But why?

It may come as a surprise that for a long time, I could not adequately answer that question.  Why would we serve others as people of faith?  That is, what distinquishes our serving from that of the Kiwanis, the Rotary, the Lions, and a thousand other good, committed groups? 

Certainly our serving is not different in 'what' we do, but I would expect a difference in the motivation or intent.  Since we Lutherans are not driven to 'save souls for Jesus' or encourage folks to 'make a decision for Jesus' or to 'accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior', then what is it that drives us into the street to serve?

For years I have wrestled with this question in various forms.  How does it all fit in with Jesus?  What does it have to do with the church of Jesus and the followers of Jesus?

It is almost embarrassing how straight forward the answer is.  Jesus teaches his disciples A. Love God.  B. Love your neighbor.  When the love of God is flowing through you, you will serve your neighbor out of that love.

Sometimes within Lutheran circles, with our primary emphasis on the free and sufficient gift of grace
in Jesus (his life, ministry, death, resurrection) we lose sight of what it looks like when we live in that grace.  Or, to put it another way, "Now that we have been saved, what do we do?"

We love our neighbor.  Jesus loved our neighbor.  In fact, Jesus loved/loves us.  Now, as the church of Jesus we are to love our neighbor so they too might know the saving grace of forgiveness.  Here's another way to put it.  We love our neighbor so they might experience the power of being loved, a love that creates a new beginning.  When our past is forgiven (which BTW does not mean it does not have consequences) we are given a new tomorrow - a time when things can be different and we can become new people. 

So we feed the hungry.  There can be no new tomorrows without food. 
We clothe the naked.  There can be no new beginnings without clothes.
Or shelter.  Or someone to listen and to walk alongside your path.

Therefore, we Christians serve.  The gift of love that comes to us in Jesus Christ makes us whole and that is much too fine a treasure to keep to ourselves.  We serve so others might know Jesus, even if as Lutherans, we are reluctant to speak about him.  ....but that is for another day.  AMEN