Jesus spoke these words after James and John came to Him and asked that they be granted seats at His right and left in His glory. Of course this made the other ten apostles angry. So here we are; three years into Jesus ministry, approaching Jerusalem where Jesus faces torture and death, and He needs to explain to those who will carry on His ministry how to "lead".
First I see that he did not scold His disciples. He did not get angry with James and John for their pride. He did not point out the jealousy of the other ten. He used this conflict to point to Himself and the contrast between Him and the rulers of the world...(42-44) "....You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all."
After three years of ministry with the disciples, Jesus still had to point to His ministry as serving others and His Father, by giving His life as "a ransom for many". His purpose was not to lord over the people, but to be their slave; to do for them what they could not do for themselves.
Jesus' church was born and has lived because believers serve. Christ did not establish the church as an institution...the Christian Church, but as a body of believers...Christians! His greatness has not been measured by what people have done for Him, but what people have done for others because of His love being manifested in them by His Spirit. Jesus' church is full of servants, not leaders. As His Church, we need to be responding to His leading, His Spirit, and not looking for direction from leaders. If you think about taking food to a neighbor...do it! If you are passing a nursing home and you remember that a church member is there, stop and say hello! If you think about a troubled friend, pause and pray! That Still Small Voice is calling us to serve.
Discover and Proclaim the Truth of The Bible which is: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life." (John 3:16 NRSV). Jesus came to humanity to proclaim and give evidence to that love and He has commanded us to do the same. We, who believe, must not merely be followers, but we must be proclaimers of the Gospel Message and we can only do that by being filled with the love of God.
