Deut 15

Deuteronomy 15

“James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion, greeting:” (James 1:1)

“And if he says to you, I will not go away from you, because he loves you and your house, because it has been good for him with you; then you shall take an awl and put it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. And also to your slave-girl you shall do so. “ Deut 15:16-17


James begins his letter to the churches saying that he is a bondservant of Jesus Christ. What is a bondservant? Deuteronomy explains: it is a servant who stays with his master after his six years of service because he loves his master.

You see, the Lord set up laws for servants. If they were to serve you faithfully for six long years they were to be released on the seventh. This was a way of giving the servants hope for their troubles. It corresponds beautifully with the history of Israel. Israel too will be granted their absolute freedom one day from all the attacks of the world around them. Their Messiah will come again to set up His kingdom and save Israel. The law of the Sabbatical year was a way of rewarding a faithful servant.

However, some servants would not want to leave. Some servants, loved their masters to the extent that they were ready to spend their entire lives serving their masters. Should this case arrive, they were to have their ear marked and they would become a servant forever. This is how James describes himself. I love this picture because it is so humbling. James could have claimed to be the brother of God. He could have claimed to have been the head honcho at the church of Jerusalem. Instead he likens himself to a servant, totally in love with his master!

Think of reasons to become a bondservant. Your master would certainly have to be great. He would have to be understanding. You would have to have a solid relationship with him. Now consider your own heart. Jesus has proven to be more than a Master but a Savior as well. It comes down to this; do you have a solid relationship with Jesus Christ? If you do, your only desire will be to serve for the rest of your life as His bondservant. If you do not, the thought of giving up your whole may seem extreme. In fact, maybe you feel you will give your six years and then use your freedom. Gang, fall in love with your Master. Understand that you are totally in debt, and that it is worth spending your entire life serving Him. Remember, you cannot serve two masters. You will either love one and hate the other. Are you a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and like James, would consider yourself this?