How to Lead in the Kingdom of God, Part 2 by Mark D. Roberts

Luke 22:24-27

“But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you
should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Who is
more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who
sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.”

Luke 22:26-27

I ended yesterday’s reflection by wondering how it is possible for a
leader to be a servant. Jesus said that “the leader should be like a servant”
(22:26). But this almost seems to be a contradiction. Isn’t the leader the one
who, among other things, exercises authority by telling people what to do? And
isn’t the servant the one who takes orders? If so, does Jesus’ vision of servant
leadership make any sense?

In order to answer these questions, we need to look at what follows Jesus’
directive that “the leader should be like the servant.” In the next verse
he adds, “Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who
serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among
you as one who serves” (22:27). Our translation adds a couple of nuances to make
this passage understandable to us. In fact, the original Greek speaks of one who
“reclines” at the table, because, in the first-century, that’s the posture
people assumed when eating.

Moreover, the NLT adds the sentence, “But not here!” though it is
absent from the original. This addition heightens the contrast between the
cultural norm and the ways of the kingdom of God. Everyone in Jesus’ day knew
that the one who was served had greater status than the one who served. Masters
and their guests were more honored than servants. But not in the kingdom of God.
The disciples with Jesus knew that he was by far the greatest among them. Yet,
he said, “I am among you as one who serves.”

How did Jesus serve? We don’t have reason to believe that he actually served
the food at the table of the Last Supper. Jesus was reclining along with his
disciples as they shared a Passover meal. But, in the context of this meal, he
spoke of his pending death, his pouring out of his life for the sake of others.
As the Suffering Servant of God, the one whose suffering and death was predicted
in Isaiah 52-53, Jesus would soon demonstrate the essence of true servanthood. It involved giving up one’s
own advantage, one’s own benefits, and in Jesus’ case, his own life, for the
sake of others. Thus, when Jesus said, “I am among you as one who serves,” he
was pointing ahead to his death, that would happen only a few hours after the
Last Supper was completed.

Wherever you and I have positions of leadership—whether in the workplace or
in our families, on the football field or in the choir booster club, in our
churches or in our communities—we have the opportunity, in fact, the calling, to
serve others in the mode of Jesus, who gave his life for us.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: What might this mean in
reality for you? How might you imitate Jesus’ self-giving servanthood in your workplace? In your
family? In your community?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, ironically enough, you’ve set the bar
pretty high here. You have called us to take the lowest rank. You have told us
to be as servants. And then you pointed to your own servant, which we see most
vividly in your death. This is a whole lot more costly than simply serving folks
at a table.

Help me, dear Lord, to see where I can serve people in imitation of you. Show
me how I can give of myself sacrificially for the sake of others. In particular,
I ask that you help me to be a self-giving servant in the places of life where I
am a leader. By your grace, may my heart be more and more the heart of a
servant. Amen.

http://www.thehighcalling.org/reflection/how-lead-kingdom-god-part-2

How to Lead in the Kingdom of God, Part 1 by Mark D. Roberts

Luke 22:24-27

“But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you
should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant.”

Luke 22:26

In the last several days, we have been focusing on Luke 22:24-27, a passage
in which Jesus speaks of what I have called “otherwordly
leadership,” that is to say, leadership fit for the kingdom of God. So far, we
have seen how not to lead as citizens of this kingdom. Today, we begin to look
at the positive: how to lead in God’s kingdom.

Jesus begins by saying “Those who are greatest among you should take the
lowest rank” (22:26). This could be translated more literally, “The one who is
greatest among you should be as the youngest.” Given our culture’s virtual
worship of youthfulness, we might easily miss Jesus’ point here. His culture
prized age, with older people being granted greater honor than younger people.
Thus, the youngest would be the one with the least status.

Jesus continues, “[A]nd the leader should be like the servant” (22:26).
The word translated here as “leader” is actually a participle from the verb
hegeomai (related to the English term
“hegemony”). The verb means “to lead, guide, or supervise.” It implies the
rightful use of authority. The word translated in this verse as “servant” is a
participle from the verb diakoneo, which comes from the same root
as the word diakonos, the linguistic basis of our
word “deacon.” But the service Jesus envisions is
not in church. Rather, a diakonos was a table servant. The fact
that Jesus had this kind of service in mind is made clear in the following
verse. Thus, Jesus is saying that the one who leads should become as the one who
serves.

Notice, Jesus did not abolish the notion of leadership here. He did not say,
“None of you should be a leader.” In fact, he assumed that there would
be people in his kingdom who exercise authority in leading others. Yet, they are
to exercise their leadership in the mode of a servant. This notion of servant
leadership can be puzzling indeed, especially if we think of the servant as
someone who takes orders from an authority. How can a leader be a servant? Is
this even possible?

I’m going to leave this question with you today. I’ll pick it up again
tomorrow. For now, I’d encourage you to think about what sense servant
leadership makes. Who knows, you may even have a chance today to act as a
servant leader!

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: How is it possible for a
leader to be a servant? Does Jesus’ vision of servant leadership make sense? Can
you think of situations in which you might be a servant leader today?

P.S.
If you’d like to learn more
about Servant Leadership, read The Organizational Advantages of Servant Leadership by Howard
E. Butt, Jr.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you for teaching us about
leadership. Thank you for this stirring and perplexing vision of servant
leadership. I must confess, Lord, that I am working hard to understand what you
mean. So I ask for the help of your Spirit. May I truly grasp what you are
saying in this text, and may I understand how it impacts my life.

Give me eyes to see, even today, how I might be a leader who is also a
servant. Help me to begin to put your teaching into practice in my workplace, in
my family, and in all of my relationships. Amen.

http://www.thehighcalling.org/reflection/how-lead-kingdom-god-part-1

How Not to Lead in the Kingdom of God, Part 3: My Confession by Mark D. Roberts

Luke 22:24-27

Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their
people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ But among you it
will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest
rank, and the leader should be like a servant.”

Luke 22:25-26

In yesterday’s reflection, we looked at how Gentile rulers
sought to be known as “benefactors.” They did their good deeds
publicly and with great fanfare in order to be praised among the people. We saw
that Jesus teaches us that kingdom leadership involves a different kind of
motivation. We who lead should not do so to enhance our own glory and
reputation.

Now comes my confession. I am doing this, not to draw attention to myself,
but because I have found that when we share our weaknesses and failures with
others, we not only find new strength, but also we encourage others who struggle
as we do. So I will share with you how the teaching of Jesus challenges me in my
own leadership.

I wrestle all the time with my desire to be well thought of by people. This
isn’t entirely wrong, of course. But there are many times when I find that I am
motivated by a desire to be recognized as a “benefactor” of sorts. When I am a
guest preacher, for example, I work hard to prepare a sermon that is true,
God-honoring, and edifying to the congregation for whom I will preach. Yet, as
I’m sitting in the worship service prior to my sermon, I can feel myself
yearning for the approval of the congregation. I want them to like my sermon. I
want them to like me. This is fairly normal, I think. But there are times when I
realize that I am wanting to be liked even more than wanting people to hear
God’s word in a transforming way. So I inevitably spend several minutes prior to
guest preaching confessing my mixed motives and asking God to purify my heart.
By the time I get to the pulpit, the Holy Spirit has usually helps me focus on
what matters most and Who matters most.

I’ve often wondered why I am so prone to need the approval of people. I
wonder if it has to do with the fact that my dad had a very difficult time
expressing his approval of me. He never once told me in words that he was proud
of me. To this day, I can feel sad about that, even though I know he was proud
of me. I wonder if my inner being hopes that the approval of the crowd will
satisfy my longing for my Dad’s approval.

As I mentioned above, part of what gives me freedom from being dominated by a
need for human praise is confessing my motives to the Lord. With confession
comes cleansing and healing. But, as I grow in my faith, I also find that the
love and affirmation of my Heavenly Father satisfies my soul in a way that is
transformational. The more I experience God’s love for me, the more I seek to
honor him first and foremost in all I do, the more I am set free from the need
to please others in order to build up my own sense of well-being.

If you don’t struggle with what I’ve described here, thanks be to God. But if
you do struggle with an inordinate desire for human approval, perhaps my
confession will be an encouragement to you. I believe that, by God’s grace, all
of us can come to the point where glorifying God is the primary passion of our
lives and leadership.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: Do you ever find yourself
yearning for human approval in a way that is not quite right? What do you do in
those times? How has your experience of God helped you to love and serve him?
How have you felt God’s affirmation in your life?

PRAYER: Dear Lord, to you I make my confession. You know how
many times I want human approval more than anything else, even more than your
approval. I wish it weren’t so, Lord. But I cannot lie to you. So I confess,
once again, how much I want people to like me and affirm me and think well of
me. I confess that sometimes this motivates me more than it should. At other
times, my desire to be affirmed keeps me from doing that which I know you have
called me to do. Forgive me, Lord.

May my passion for you grow. May I seek to serve and honor you above all
else. Even as you help me to be attentive to the needs of people in order to
serve them well, may I be free from the governing desire to have them like me.
Instead, may I truly seek first your kingdom and righteousness, your glory and
honor.

All praise be to you, O God, for your healing, transforming, renewing work in
my life. Amen.

http://www.thehighcalling.org/reflection/how-inoti-lead-kingdom-god-part-3-my-confession

How Not to Lead in the Kingdom of God, Part 2 by Mark D. Roberts

Luke 22:24-27

Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their
people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ But among you it
will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest
rank, and the leader should be like a servant.”

Luke 22:25-26

In yesterday’s reflection, we began to consider how not to
lead in the kingdom of God. According to Jesus, we should not “lord it over”
those over whom we have authority. Today, we’ll focus on the second part of
Jesus’ instructions on how not to be a leader.

He says, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people,
yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ But among you it will be different”
(22:25). The phrase “yet they are called ‘friends of the people’ ” might be a
bit confusing, because it assumes knowledge of what was common in the culture of
Jesus. Gentile rulers sought to increase their honor by offering favors and
doing good works. They sought to be known as “benefactors” (a translation of the
Greek euergetes, which means “doer of good
works”). In fact, the Greek of Luke 22:25 might better be translated as in the
NIV: “and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors”
(22:25). The verb “to call” can have this self-referential sense as well as the
passive “are called.”

What is Jesus’ point here? Gentile rulers not only “lord it over” their
subjects, but also they seek personal gain in doing so, especially gain in
honor. They want to be lauded by the people for their great works. They do not
do their good deeds in secret, but rather point to their accomplishments with
pride. They fill public spaces with inscriptions praising their glorious
deeds.

Those who lead in the kingdom of God “will be different.” Jesus calls
us to live and lead well, not for the sake of our own glory, but for the glory
of God and the good of others. This is consistent with what Jesus said in the
Sermon on the Mount about doing good deeds: “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds
publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father
in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites
do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their
acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they
will ever get” (Matt. 6:1-2).

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: In your actions as a
leader, are you seeking your own glory? Do you want to be praised by people? In
your leadership, do you hope to enhance your reputation, or are you seeking to
serve God and people for their sake?

P.S.
If you’d like to learn more
about Servant Leadership, read The Organizational Advantages of Servant Leadership by Howard
E. Butt, Jr.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank you for showing me how not to lead
as a citizen of your kingdom. It is so tempting to lead in the way of this
world, especially when it comes to my motivation. I’d like to be thought of as a
“benefactor” or “friend of the people.” I know this isn’t a bad thing, but
when it becomes my primary motivation for my actions, then something has gone
seriously wrong.

Forgive me, Lord, for the times when my leadership is more for my glory than
for yours. Help me to seek first and foremost your kingdom, to do everything for
your glory. Teach me to serve you even and especially when I have been entrusted
with authority to lead. Amen.

http://www.thehighcalling.org/reflection/how-inoti-lead-kingdom-god-part-2

Miracles Await · Max Lucado

Miracles Await · Max Lucado.

Why Me?

Why Me?.

Tozer Devotional-Getting Honest With God

Getting Honest With God

Try what I call the pad and pencil method. This method is very simple and consists of getting on your knees with your Bible, a pad of paper and a pencil. Read the Bible and then write down what is wrong with you. The only way to remain spiritual is to keep after yourself. The pad and pencil method is good. Read, for example, the Sermon on the Mount. When the Holy Spirit says, “You are that person,” write it down. Read on. When the Holy Spirit says you are wrong here or there, write it down. Then set your Bible aside and go over your list before God in confession with the promise that you will never be caught doing those things again. Commune with your own heart, be still and question yourself like a doctor with your open Bible before you. You will find that this will bring sunshine to your life, and you will have springtime in your heart. When you get before God realizing that there has been a bit of snow on the ground and that the happy song of the birds is not heard in the land and that the sweet smell of the flowers is not within you, begin to question yourself before God with the open Bible. The symptoms you already know, but try to get at the causes. If you are evasive with God, then there will be no help. If you are evasive with yourself, if you rationalize your weaknesses, you will get no help.

http://www.cmalliance.org/devotions/tozer?id=350

Justification+By+Faith

Justification+By+Faith.

The Daily Spurgeon: Seeing His blessing everywhere

The Daily Spurgeon: Seeing His blessing everywhere.

Put Your Faith to Work (1)

Put Your Faith to Work (1).