ESOCS Devotional 30 May 2022
TEXT: MATTHEW 20:17-28
MEMORY VERSE: “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.” Matthew 20:26-27 NIV
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 ”
The greatest undoing of Christianity today is the struggle for leadership position and authority. The number of persons who desire to be in leadership positions are far greater than those who are satisfied with a followership status. This has done more harm than good to the Church. More emphatically, this has encouraged the unhealthy spreading of churches/denominations, to the detriment of Christianity. Almost everyone wants to lead; only a few want to follow. This is unfortunate. It is antichrist behaviour.
In our text today, the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus, asking for an opportunity to overtake their elders (vs 20-21). In verses 22-23, Jesus cautioned them, bringing to light the negative implications of such ambitious desires.
In the Books of Ezra 7:26, Nehemiah 13:25, and 1 Timothy 4:6, the Bible describes various styles of leadership. But the key to true Christian leadership is service (vs 26-27). Jesus Himself
ruled out the abuse of power by the Christian leader (v 25). Rather, continued Jesus, Church leaders must see themselves as humble servants – emulating Christ, who humbly served God and the human race (John 13:12-17).
In rebuking both the vaulting ambition of James and John, and the jealous outrage of the senior disciples (vs 25-28), Jesus emphasized again that greatness in His Kingdom will be through ‘servanthood’ (John 18:1-4; Mark 9:35). He went ahead to condemn the lordship leadership of the secular world. In other words, Jesus maintains, church leaders must not bring into the church the self-promoting brand of leadership practised by worldly people (1 Peter 5:3). God’s flock must not be dealt with as men deal with the business world. Church leaders should see themselves as slaves to the needs of their members.
Jesus came to be a servant to the spiritual needs of humanity (Isaiah 53). His expectation of us, as Church leaders, cannot be anything less (John 13:12-17). May the Holy Spirit lighten up our minds of understanding.
- If Jesus had granted the request of James and John, what do you think would have happened to the ministry? Discuss.
- Lord Jesus, teach us to work and walk as you did; so, Your Church will recover from the present mid-summer madness. Amen.
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FURTHER READING: Exodus 5:15-23; Isaiah 43:1-13; Revelation 1:19-25
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ESOCS Devotional 30 May 2022