by Jean Vanier

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review by Diana Collins

The Scandal of Service is a title well chosen. Jesus taught the disciples that he came from the Father to serve—to preach the good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, and to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord (see Isaiah 61 and Luke 4). But he never raised a sword or instructed his followers to rebel against their leaders. Instead, the Messiah demonstrated the unassuming and inconspicuous way of servant-leadership in the power of humility and love.

In the first chapter of The Scandal of Service, which is the book's introduction, Jean Vanier discusses experiences and observations he has gathered from living with people who have mental disabilities. Founder of L'Arche (The Ark) communities worldwide, Vanier passionately describes his deep compassion and admiration for these people who are too often outcasts in society. For more than 40 years he has dedicated his life to serving this people group out of his love for them and for God.

Having established a “paraliturgy” of washing one another's feet in the L'Arche communities, Vanier says, “As I have become aware of how the washing of feet touches individual hearts or affects personal relationships or community life, I have wanted to go more deeply into the mystery of this passage in the Gospel of John, and I would like to share these reflections with you.” The reader must keep in mind this perspective, and the fact that his viewpoint is strongly influenced by Roman Catholic doctrine. Also, I find that the organization of this work is more of a patchwork than a flow of ideas, consisting of Scripture quotes, Vanier's personal (rather than scriptural) interpretations of biblical events and meanings, and his own biases and prejudices (particularly his view of “the poor” versus people who are “well-situated in society”).

In the book, Vanier explores the cultural significance of the outer and inner garments in Jesus' day, the author's views of the gesture of washing another's feet, and God's view of servant-leadership versus man's view of wielding power and authority over people. The reader will surely find Vanier's discussions to be insightful and heartfelt.

However, Vanier also likes to paraphrase what Jesus says, too often coloring our Lord's meaning and intention with Vanier's personal issues and agenda. The author frequently takes the liberty to assume what Jesus or Peter or Judas was thinking or feeling, rather than exploring Scripture for such insights. He even supposes that maybe Jesus was crying as he washed the disciples' feet. I believe that such assumptions tend to cast too great a focus on Jesus-as-man (the way the rest of us tend to be), rather than on Jesus-as-God/man, as only he can be. Also, making assumptions regarding the thoughts and emotions of biblical characters, without scriptural support, affects the tone or attitude of their words and intent, which then influences the reader's understanding. These elements tend, I find, to weaken Vanier's treatment of biblical events and their significance.

Vanier states on page 5 that “Jesus speaks mainly to the poor, the rejected and the powerless. He says explicitly that He came to announce Good News to the poor (Luke 4).” This passage refers back to Isaiah 61 (NASB): “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted” (NIV uses poor instead of afflicted and AMP uses meek). Vanier also refers to “the poor” in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5), which reads, “Blessed are the poor [afflicted; meek] in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The words meek, poor, and afflicted are also translated from the original text as “those who are not spiritually arrogant” (NASB literal translation). Vanier's emphasis is too focused on people's humility before one another, thereby failing to emphasize that we must first be humble before God. When we submit to his authority, as Jesus demonstrated and taught throughout his earthly ministry, then we receive power through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to serve both God and man.

The author makes numerous statements to assert that people with mental handicaps “are transforming us and leading us into the world of tenderness, inner peace and compassion. They bring us closer to Jesus” (p. 7). An essential theme for Vanier's premise is that of Jesus' “descent into littleness and weakness,” which he uses to illustrate that Jesus “identifies” with the weak and powerless (p. 7) by becoming just like them. To support his view, the author uses Luke 9: “Whoever welcomes one of these little ones in my name, welcomes me”; and Matthew 25: “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers or sisters, you do to me.” This line of reasoning tends to suggest, however subtly, that it is essential for there to be “poor people” so that the rest of us can learn to be like Jesus. This shaky premise comes close to the Hindu caste mentality, which keeps people in whatever social status they are born. Jesus does say the poor will always be among us, but he never even hints that they are poor for the benefit of those who are not poor.

Continuing in his reference to Matthew 5, Vanier says,

Blessed are you if you wash your brother's feet. Blessed are you if you live in a spirit of poverty; God is close to you. It is truly a blessing to live as Jesus lived. God is close to those who wash others' feet and who eat at the table of the poor, the lame, the crippled and the blind. God watches over them, protects them, and gives them new strength. Even more than that: God lives in them. They become like Jesus. (p. 28)

Not only does the author make up a couple of his own beatitudes, but he also speaks true to Roman Catholic doctrine: If people do the right and good thing, then they will attract God's attention, protection and favor. But the one true God is not moved from his righteousness by any of our actions or words.

This same doctrine selectively ignores Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB): “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” We know that God lives in those who confess Jesus as their Lord and Savior, who invite his Spirit to live in them and transform them into the likeness of Christ. Nowhere in Scripture does it say that God lives in people who wash one another's feet and eat with poor people. Perhaps they appear to act like Jesus, but these actions in no way guarantee that a person's heart is right before God.

Further into the book, Vanier says,

The life and teachings of Jesus turn everything upside down. Those closest to God now are the humble and the weak, no longer those in power, sitting on their thrones. This is God's new vision for society and for humanity. Certainly, if leaders are poor enough, they are close to God. But with Jesus we are invited to discover how the poor and the outcast are a presence of God. (p. 50)

Once again, we find a statement of truth, followed by assumptions that are completely departed from Scripture. Vanier's view is bound by the very spirit of poverty that he exalts. He assumes that people who have material resources and social influence are automatically devoid of Christ. He asserts that leaders must be sufficiently devoid of material resources and social influence in order to be closest to God. And he maintains that those without material resources and social influence are automatically holy because of their poverty. This line of thinking rings of the very first deception used against man—something that sounds like truth but is built around a “something” far departed from God's Word. We've been falling for this kind of “logic” since Adam and Eve.

It saddens me that this is not a book I can recommend as a biblical study of God's way for his children who serve him and who desire to advance his kingdom. Jean Vanier clearly has a tender heart for those in need, and for God. His life's work has blessed countless people around the world, to be sure. And God, being all that he is, surely celebrates the desire of Vanier's heart to show God's compassion and grace to all.

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