"But to Serve"

(Today's reading - Numbers 34-36; Mark 11:32-52)

Numbers continues to give the details of the preparation of the Israelites to enter the Promised Land. Mark gives us the slow march of our Savior towards His death. He tells His disciples a third time that He will be arrested, abused, crucified and resurrected. What was their reaction to this? I guess they were thinking about who would be in charge after He is dead. I scratch my head when I read this...what were they thinking? The disciples get into a dispute and had hard feelings toward one another (thankfully, that never happens today).

Jesus calls them together and has a team building session. He tells them...

“You know that those who are regarded as rulers 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 be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
(Mark 10:42-45)

The disciples were applying the world's view of leadership to the kingdom and Jesus was having none of it. His kingdom was to be different. Instead of a leader that everyone else served; His kingdom was to have leaders that served everyone else. He turned the worlds view of corporate structure upside down. He called on them to pattern themselves after Him. If He, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe could come down here and serve His creation; surely those He created could serve one another. That was the pattern He called them to follow. Servant leaders.

The world's view of a leader is entirely different. He is powerful. She is flamboyant. He is charismatic. She is authoritative. Take a moment and think about worldly leaders and the traits they possess. Now, compare that to Jesus' description... "whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant". You want to be in charge... serve! You want to be the big dog... serve. And if you want to be the biggest dog..."whoever wants to be first must be slave of all". Slave to all! In His kingdom, servants are princes and princesses. In His kingdom, the leaders work the hardest to care for others. In His kingdom, servanthood is the trait you find in leaders.

Is that what you see in your community of believers? Is the "pastor" the lead servant? Is the elder busy caring for others? Are the deacons... deacing? Is the lead evangelist leading others to service? I have heard it said by some leaders to "do as they say, not as they do"; thankfully, Jesus did just the opposite... He said do as I do. His entire life was spent being poured out for others and even His death was in service to us. He gave the perfect example of what a leader should look like. As His disciples, we are to do the same. What about you? Are you a servant to all? In this self-centered world that we live in, may His people be found in service. Amen? Amen!