I came to Serve, Not to be Served. (Matthew 20:20-28)
Serving and being served is a concept which has been adopted by both the sec- ular and spiritual institutions which makes it more vital and urgent. Robert K. Greenleaf and others pressed the point that the best leaders achieve the most by serving those they lead. He even started the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership to advance that philosophy. The bible gives us the best view of this model by presenting Jesus Christ as the embodiment of servant leadership. Jesus addressed his disciples “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45, Matthew 20:28). He preceded that by saying, “whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all” (Mark 10:44). A true servant only desires to serve and see the master exalted, without thinking about self, recognition or receiving credit.
Henry Blackaby wrote about this subject while referring to Luke 22:27. “For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves”. He asserted that “The measure of greatness in the kingdom of God differs vastly from that of the world. Our society idolizes the rich, the powerful, the beautiful, and the prominent. We even make celebrities out of those who brazenly flaunt their immorality. The world claims it is demeaning to serve others. However, God’s kingdom com- pletely rejects the world’s measure for esteem, giving the greatest honor to the one who serves most. The person who serves selflessly, lovingly, without com- plaint, and without seeking recognition is highly regarded in the kingdom of God.
When Jesus and His disciples entered the upper room, the disciples looked for a prominent place to sit; Jesus looked for a place to serve. As they awk- wardly waited to be served, Jesus took a towel and basin and washed their feet (John 13:1-15). We Christians like to refer to ourselves as servants, but we are seldom content to be treated as servants. We are tempted to adopt the world’s evaluation of importance. But when we look to Jesus as our mod- el, we see that it takes a far more noble character to serve than to be served.
The world will estimate your importance by the number of people serving you. God is more concerned with the number of people you are serving. If you struggle to be a servant, your heart may have shifted away from the heart of God. Ask Je- sus to teach you selflessness and to give you the strength to follow His example.
This requires every leader to come to a point of self- examination, are we ser- vants? Is there something we need to do to be better servants? Jesus’ example for leadership distinguishes us greatly from the model of the secular world. If you are a Christian leader, let Christ offer us the best model. May God bless you.
The Very Rev. Canon Dr. Rebecca Nyegenye
Provost