“For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give His life a ransom for many.”
In Mark 10, James and John asked to be given the honor of sitting on the right and left hand of Jesus in His kingdom. Jesus used the Occasion to teach His disciples about the true measure of greatness in His kingdom. Jesus pointed out that in Gentile world, the world at large, those who were rulers lorded it over the People and the “great ones exercise authority upon them.” In verse 43, Jesus said: “But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister (servant).” Kingdom greatness is not measured by others serving us; rather, it is measured by our serving others. A truly great Christian will have a servant’s heart. According to Jesus, we should not want to be served but to serve. We should not want to be great by the world’s standards but by God’s standards. William Barclay wrote: “The basic trouble in the human situation is that men wish to do as little as possible to get as much as possible. It is only when men are filled with the desire to put into life more than they take out, that is, to serve others, that life for themselves, and for others, can be happy and prosperous.” A truly great Christian will also have serving hands. We should not just talk about service to others; we should actually serve them. Jesus demonstrated this when He washed His disciple’s feet. We should never be afraid that we are doing too much for others, but that we are doing too little. What kind of service should we render? Our Christian service can take as many forms as the needs around us. Be sure that there are plenty of needs out there that need the serving hearts and hands of Christian people. There are plenty of people out there who need your serving heart and serving hands. In verse 44, Jesus told His disciples, and us, about the measure of a real Christian leader: “And whosoever of you will be chiefest (first) shall be servant of all." Leadership in God’s kingdom is not as much sought as it is given by God. God’s choice for leadership is based on service, not the ability to lord it over others. If we are dedicated servants of Jesus, it will not matter to us who are considered to be the leaders. The main concern of every Christian should be that God’s work is done and that it is done in His will. In other words, if it is God’s will that we should be the leader then we should lead. If He raises up someone else then we should follow God’s choice of our leader. It seems to me that many of the problems in our churches, no matter the denomination, are caused by people who want their way. If we would seek to find God’s will in any matter before us, there would be no problem as to who had his or her way. According to what we have read, our aim should be to serve God and not to rule. In verse 45 Jesus gave the measure of His leadership and His greatness: “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Jesus used Himself as an example for His disciples and for us. If Jesus came to serve, how much more should we seek to serve, for “a servant is not greater than his master?” Jesus literally gave His life as “a ransom for many.” While we cannot give our lives as a ransom as Jesus did, we can give our lives in service to Him. This is what Jesus wants of us and, frankly, expects of us. We need to look into our own hearts and determine whether we want to serve rather than be served. Bro. Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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