“Jesus called them together and said,’You know that the 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 your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’” (Matthew 20: 25-28, NIV)
I like the saying: “Unless you’re the lead dog, the view never really changes.”
The problem is that my ambition for leadership almost always conflicts with what Jesus says His disciples’ ambitions ought to be vis-a-vis leadership. While the common ideas of leadership usually involves the exercise of power, the acquisition of perquisites, and the maintenance of prestige; as a disciple of Jesus, I need always be on guard that I not use religious language to hide these secular objectives.
We cannot argue with the common concepts of leadership and their place in this world. However, regarding their role in our discipleship, we must never forget Jesus’ words: “Not so with you.” – Luther
