Words from the Rock
You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Matthew 20:25–28 NLT
Jesus says a lot of things that are hard to understand—at least at first. It often seems he’s coming from a completely different direction. Or maybe he’s just coming from heaven. But in this section he tells his disciples (and all who would follow him) that his way of measuring leadership is exactly the opposite of the way the world does it.
Think about it—if people want to be elected to positions of leadership, they make themselves known. Often they spend money to do this, campaigning for votes. They go hang with other “important” people. They get their picture in the news, and they hold fancy fund-raisers where only the rich get invited. It’s pretty much in-your-face, and sometimes it’s obnoxious.
Jesus says that if you really want to be a leader, you should act like a servant. A servant is someone who takes care of others, who cleans up other people’s messes, who puts the needs of someone else over his or her own. It’s not a glamorous job. Even less glamorous is the life of a slave. But Jesus says that if you really want to be on top, you need to be a slave. A slave can’t even call his life his own. He’s at the beck and call of someone else. The needs of his master and everyone else come before his own.
When you think about it, that’s exactly what Jesus did. He left his kingdom in heaven to come to earth and take care of us, clean up our messes, put our needs above his own . . . and to eventually be put to death on the cross, which must have seemed like hitting rock bottom to some. But now he rules and reigns with God in heaven forever—from the bottom straight to the top. And he wants us to imitate him by humbling ourselves and being willing to serve like he did—that way he can be the one to lift us up.
My Prayer
Dear God,
Help me to see the value of being a servant. Show me ways I can put others’ needs above my own. Make me more like you.
Amen.
Final Word
Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7 NASB
Stone for the Journey
Jesus can teach me how to be a servant.