Today’s Reading: Matthew 20; Matthew 21; Matthew 22
Scripture: Matthew 20:25-28
25 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. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 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."
Observation: Jesus tells His Disciples that they have to change their thinking. They have been in a mindset of selfish competition -- striving to get the most privilege and power. But Jesus turns that upside down. He tells them that to be truly great you don't have to strive, you have to serve. And the greater the service (doing more for others), the greater and higher is the one who serves. Jesus Himself is the ultimate example of this. He served His fellow man up to and including the point of giving His own innocent life as a sacrifice for them -- for us -- for me.
Application: Follow Jesus' example and serve. My mom has this written in the inside cover of her Bible: "You don't know what kind of servant you are until someone treats you like one." That's the problem with being a servant. People often treat you like one. And that doesn't feel too good. But it shouldn't matter to us -- it must not. I am called to serve for Jesus' sake -- to please Him. And it can be the disrespect of others that is the best indicator of the approval of God.
Prayer: Lord, help me to follow the example of Jesus and the Calvary road. May I be the kind of servant that pleases You.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
1 comment:
This is one of the qualities you have that I have always admired most. I think you embody the principles of a servant leader.
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