Servant Leadership 101

Mark 9:33-37 says, “They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

Observation: The disciples were arguing over who was greater….not greater between God and Jesus, but between themselves. It’s the same argument that every sibling has made. “Who does mom love more?” They were ranking themselves. This could have been brought on because Peter, James, and John were allowed to  101witness Jesus on the mountain with Moses and Elijah. Jesus goes on to tell them that to be great in HIS kingdom, you need to serve others freely. He then illustrates this by taking a child and telling them that those the disciples will freely serve is like a child.

Application: Servant Leadership is a contradiction in terms. Most people would describe a leader is someone who no longer has to serve others, but he/she is to be served by others. Think of a king, he does not serve others but is served. Jesus came to blow up everyone’s understanding of what a leader was. This was best illustrated by Jesus washing his disciple’s feet (John 13). All of the Jews thought that the messiah would be a political figure or king who would lead them. Jesus came to lead by being the very example of what the Old Testament law spoke of. By loving and serving others, He was being the leader that God had always desired for his people.

What kind of leader are you? Every follower of Jesus is a leader. But you will have to make the choice to be a servant leader, because anything else may not live up to the standards set by Jesus. Do you put the needs of others first? Are you willing to wash the feet of your friends, family, and neighbors? These questions are tough to wrestle with because of a 5 letter word: PRIDE. We don’t want to be the least, that’s no fun. But that is what God is calling us to today.

Prayer: God, let me serve those around me. Let me be the least and you be the most!