Men As Christ
Where Iron Sharpens Iron / Proverbs 27:17
Servant Leadership
Mark 10:35-45
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” He replied, “What do you wish me to do for you?” They answered him, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.” Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” They said to him, “We can.” Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared.” When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. Jesus summoned them and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the 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.”
Blog
For many of us, we have a strong appetite to lead. We are called to lead in many areas of our lives; in our Faith, our Churches, our Families, our jobs, our communities, etc. It’s no surprise that this competitive, human Spirit would show up in the Apostles. John and James wanted to lead Eternally while sitting to the left and to the right of Jesus while He sat Eternally on His Throne. That makes sense. But, Jesus was not a Monarch; He was the Ultimate Servant Leader that set the Eternal Tone for how we should show His love – it is through Serving. Instead of thinking about “leading” those areas of our lives that were mentioned earlier, we need to start thinking about “serving” in those areas of our lives. We should serve others through our Faith and we should focus more on serving our Churches, our Families, our Employers, our communities, etc. We should volunteer in different Ministries, read our Bibles and pray to the Lord daily, work hard at everything that we do, and, ultimately, put Jesus and everyone else ahead of ourselves. All that Jesus is asking for is complete surrender to Him. He wants to instill in us a Trust that stands against the storms of life while living with a Spirit of Gratitude. We must never forget what Jesus went through for us. He didn’t consider it beneath Him to serve us by coming to be with us – even serving right through His brutal death. His death and resurrection are what changed history and Eternity forever. So, let’s be sure to Praise Him through our service to Him and others. That’s what Jesus did and that’s what we should do. It’s the Service that makes us all His Leaders.
Men As Christ 