ESOCS Devotional 26 October 2022
TEXT: MATTHEW 20:17-28
MEMORY VERSE: “Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.” Matthew 20:20 & 21
0 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. 12 When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted lace ”
From the context of this story, James and John had most probably asked their mother to ask Jesus for a special position for them in the kingdom of God, making the other disciples to be displeased with them. Jesus, however, used this opportunity to put to rest the attitude of spiritual leaders to power, and set the right standards for those who are to be leaders in Christendom.
Leadership and the exercise of power in the kingdom are very different from the way the world sees leadership. A leader in the things of God is to be like Jesus, leading, and performing his ministry in the way Jesus did. In explaining leadership, He said to them: “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 a ransom for many.”
Jesus, in this passage, sets two models of leadership. The first is the type that is secular and practiced in the institutions of the world. Under this type, the leader exercises power over his subordinates. He issues orders and uses sanctions to ensure compliance. This kind of arrangement is usually to the advantage of the leader. It is the lord-servant kind of relationship. In this type, there is a relational distance. Jesus says that it should not be so among believers (the church).
In the second model, Jesus hinges leadership on service and humility. In this case, a leader should be an unassuming person who wants to serve and work for the wellbeing and benefits of others. Jesus teaches us that Christian leadership is not by coercion, force, manipulation or by issuing orders. Force can bring conformity but cannot produce inner commitment. God desires those who willingly commit to follow and obey Him. Leadership based on force is therefore dysfunctional and out of place in Christendom. God desires leaders who will be shepherds to His flock following the example of Jesus who came to serve and give His life for others.
CHALLENGES
- Why do you think people scramble for positions of leadership?
- How will servant leaders be produced in the church?
PRAYERS: Lord Jesus, you are the example for us to follow in all things. Please give us the humility and heart to follow you in all things. And if it pleases you to put us in leadership position, help us to be like you. Amen.
Read Yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
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ESOCS Devotional 26 October 2022
