Whoever Wants To Be A Leader Must Be A Servant

Whoever Wants To Be A Leader Must Be A Servant

Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all. For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others. –Mark 10:43-45

A few weeks ago our choir sang the beautiful anthem “The Majesty and Glory of Your Name.” The choir loft was full and their voices were strong. It reminded me of the choir’s musical gift at Hope’s memorial service. My heart seemed to break all over again as I remembered the desperation and emptiness of that day, and I wept through the rest of the service. When it was over, two women were waiting to talk to me—one who wanted to tell me about a friend who had lost a child and a recent widow who needed to talk to someone who could understand her persistent tears. A voice inside me said, Can’t I just nurse my own wounds today? Do I always have to set myself aside to care for others?

Just when I think I’m too stressed to serve, too needy to meet another’s needs, too empty to give again, I catch a glimpse of Jesus, the night before his crucifixion. He knew his time had come and what was ahead. The pressure must have been enormous and the stress overwhelming. He had every reason and right to focus on his own suffering, to expect others to tend to his pain. And what did he do? He washed his disciples’ feet. When they entered the room for the Last Supper, they were too busy being important to pick up the bowl and the towel. So Jesus did. Full of anguish over what lay ahead he “took the humble position of a slave,” serving others when he deserved to be served (Philippians 2:7). “I have given you an example to follow,” he told the disciples. “Do as I have done to you. . . . That is the path of blessing” (John 13:15, 17). Jesus knows that our greatest happiness comes from serving others in his shadow, even when we need to be served ourselves. He knows we will experience a breakthrough of joy by listening to others when we want to be listened to, by giving to others while our needs go unmet, by caring for others when we want to be cared for. Does it seem unfair that Jesus would ask you to extend compassionate care to others just when you need it yourself? Jesus has walked this way before you, and he beckons you to pick up the towel.

Son of Man, my Servant, just when I think I cannot keep on giving, your example inspires me to give myself away once again. Your Spirit empowers me to put aside my own problems to ease the pain of others.

DIGGING DEEPER