Dietrich Bonhoffer was a German pastor, theologian, and opponent of National Socialism who was executed in 1945 having been accused of being involved in a plot to assassinate Hitler. His last sermon delivered to a small number of fellow prisoners at a schoolhouse in Schonberg in April 1945 focussed on Isaiah 53 and 1 Peter 1. The reflections below are taken from a sermon delivered by Mike Farrington (Operations Lead) using Isaiah 53 and writings from Bonhoffer (largely drawn from ‘Bonhoffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy’, Metaxas, E, 2010) to reflect on the Christian call to serve others.

Briefly below, and drawing on both the words of the bible, the example of Jesus and the life and writings of Dietrich Bonhoffer, I outline three key tenets of the Kingdom of God which underpin the Christian call to serve others.

i. The Kingdom of God is counter cultural
The values of the Kingdom of God are diametrically opposed to those propagated by the world around us. Whilst popular culture esteems fame, wealth and strength the Kingdom of God emphasises service, weakness and humility.

• Our greatest example of this is Jesus the ‘servant king’:

o “There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance; nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected – a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief” Isaiah 53:2-3
o “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross” Philippians 2: 6-8
o Certainly, Jesus does not conform to the usual portrayal of an all-conquering godly being: “The other gods were strong; but Thou wast weak; They rode, but Thou didst stumble to a throne; But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak, And not a god has wounds, but Thou alone.” Edward Shillito, ‘Jesus of the scars’.

• What does this mean for Christians:

o Bonhoffer: “The Church is the Church only when it exists for others…not dominating, but helping and serving. It must tell men of every calling what it means to live for Christ, to exist for others.”
o “Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10: 44-45
o “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had” Philippians 2:5

ii. The kingdom of God is costly:

• Jesus models this:

o “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53: 4-5”

• What does this mean for Christians (If it’s not costly it’s not worth anything):

o Bonhoffer: Cheap grace v costly grace: “It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: “ye were bought at a price,” and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us.”
o “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16: 24

iii. Kingdom of God is counter-intuitive: To find our purpose in the service of the Kingdom brings true freedom and life in all its fullness.

• Jesus:

o Jesus’ reward is people being reconciled to God: “Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants…my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous” Isaiah 53: 10-11
o “Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honour and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”. Philippians 2: 9-11

• What does this mean for Christians (in losing our life to God’s service we find fulfilment):

o “For those who want to save their life will lose it and those who lose their life for my sake will find it”. Matthew 16: 25
o This Transforms life: Bonhoffer on reflecting, and settling, on his call to oppose the Nazi regime: “ My calling is quite clear. What God will make of it I do not know…I must follow the path. Perhaps it will not be a long one. But it is a fine thing to have realised my calling. I believe its nobility will become plain to us only in coming times and events. If we can only hold out.”
o Transforms death: Bonhoffer: “Why are we so afraid when we think about death?… Death is only dreadful for those who live in dread and fear of it. Death is not wild and terrible, if only we can be still and hold fast to God’s Word. Death is not bitter, if we have not become bitter ourselves. Death is grace, the greatest gift of grace that God gives to people who believe in him. Death is mild, death is sweet and gentle; it beckons to us with heavenly power, if only we realize that it is the gateway to our homeland, the tabernacle of joy, the everlasting kingdom of peace. How do we know that dying is so dreadful? Who knows whether, in our human fear and anguish we are only shivering and shuddering at the most glorious, heavenly, blessed event in the world? Death is hell and night and cold, if it is not transformed by our faith. But that is just what is so marvellous, that we can transform death.
o Remarking on his execution the camp doctor at Flossenburg concentration camp noted: “I have hardly ever seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God.”

It is perhaps fitting that we are speaking about these matters the day before the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II who dedicated her life to service based on the teachings of Jesus. In her 2000 Christmas address she stated: “For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life”.

To finish with a quote from Dietrich Bonhoffer:
“We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself.”