Saturday, June 25, 2011

Your Ranking in Christ



“Very Truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” John 13:16

            You know, Jesus and his fellowship is an interesting bunch. All these people are following Jesus and serving him. They are going out on mission trips, feeding the hungry, listening to Jesus’ unique sermons, and healing people. Yet, in this chapter, Jesus reveals something very profound concerning leadership. Jesus shows his disciples that ultimately there really is no ranking in his fellowship. Jesus was their leader; however, he served his disciples more than they served him. Think about that for a second.  In this chapter, Jesus who is the savior and head of God’s kingdom got on his hands and knees to wash the feet of those who are under him. Think of it in this context; imagine the president coming to your house to help you pay bills, or your teacher going to your house to tutor you personally. It is a week comparison, but it does the trick.
            When you look at leadership in the bible, you notice that the higher you go up in “rank” the more service you perform. Jesus is the ultimate example; however, King David is a good one to. He led his people in every battle and served their every need to the best of their abilities. In John 13, after Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, he told them to do likewise. In Timothy, Paul writes about leadership of the church and all these functions like Deacon and Elder; these were positions of serving. These job descriptions were to look after the flock of the church. They are to teach and meet the needs of the congregation. Christianity is unique in that regard. I am not sure if any other religion has that. Concerning leadership, most religions to my knowledge have the chief function of serving their gods by offering sacrifices or doing deeds to benefit themselves or their deity. However, Christianity is different. The Christian leader is called to serve the people under him. In doing this, they are following the command of God, and thus serving Him. Also something unique unlike any other religion is that the God of the universe still serves us and meets our daily needs because he loves us.
This devotion is for the leadership out there. I just want to encourage you and remind you what leadership ultimately is. Leadership is not about you; it is about the people you are serving. The pastor of a church should not think about himself; he preaches for the benefit of those who are listening. If you are some small group leader, your concern is for the group, and your goal should be trying to get them closer to God. Don’t lose sight of this. Jesus says this best after he washes his disciples’ feat: “I have set an example that you should do as I have done for you”- John 13:15. Now lets go serve some people.

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