Thursday, March 2

"When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.  Jesus called them together and said, 'You know that those who are regarded as leaders of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you.  Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must become your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.  For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'" (Mark 10:41-45)

In this passage, we discovered a scramble for leadership positions from James and John, both of whom had become Jesus's close associates, along with Peter.  Despite having interacted so closely with Jesus, they didn't grasp the servanthood-based leadership model that Jesus had demonstrated.  Instead, they asked for positions to Jesus's right and left in His Kingdom -- an elevated position vs. others.

Jesus heads off the inevitable grumbling that came from the other 10 disciples by taking the opportunity to teach a key principle through James and John's off-base thinking.  While worldly leadership involves a heavy-handed "lording" over others and "exercising authority."  In short, this worldly method centers on power and control.

In contrast, Jesus points the disciples towards a completely different path:  putting others before ourselves and becoming their servant.  Jesus showed genuine compassion and concern for others by pouring out His time and energy in healing and teaching, and the Cross highlights the full extent of His love.  He calls us to follow Him in loving and serving others.

How may Christian leaders stick in there, given the high cost of servant leadership?  Only by relying fully on the Holy Spirit's power.  Human strength fades quickly, but God's servant flourishes through His complete empowerment.  Yes, we deal with human limitations, but God renews us daily through our time with Him.  Would you be interested in living servant leadership way?  What results might come of it in your life and those of others?

Lord God, thank You for sending Your Son to show us the reality of servant leadership.  Help us to follow His example and to bring healing and life to a broken and confused world.  In Jesus's Name, amen.