From Servitude to Friendship: A Spiritual Reinterpretation

The traditional understanding of the term "God's servant" emphasizes complete submission and the lack of independence of a person, who devotes their entire life to the will of their master.

For example, one source describes:"Can a person truly say that he is God's servant?

A servant is someone who has nothing, and his whole life belongs to his master: when the master wishes, he will kill his servant; when he wishes, he will pardon him; when he wishes, he will clothe him or undress him. And the servant completely obeys his master. Are our relationships with God like this? No, they are not..." (source: link txt).

This interpretation emphasizes that a person is in fact deprived of any possibility of independently managing their life, being entirely dependent on the will and decisions of the "master."

In contrast, the words of Jesus—that "a servant does not know what his master is doing"—point to a different, more spiritual relationship. Jesus deliberately moves away from the image of unconditional subjugation, because a servant, lacking knowledge of his master’s intentions, is deprived of true understanding and closeness. That is why He says:

"You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father..." (source: link txt).

Here, the focus is on establishing a relationship built on mutual understanding and closeness with God. This approach suggests a conscious choice to follow the teachings, in which a person is not a blind executor but participates in a dialogue, sharing the Father's will. In light of Jesus' words, the true meaning of belonging to God is not connected with slavish submission, but with forming friendly and conscious relationships, where understanding God's intentions and commandments becomes the foundation for closeness with Him.