Core of Leadership: Servanthood

As you read this scripture, what does it make you think of? Have you ever felt that someone in church was competing with you? Have you every felt the pains of jealousy when someone else was blessed with a position or a promotion that you didn’t receive? Have you ever watched someone do things to self promote. This is what Jesus is addressing in this scripture with the disciples. As we begin to set the tone for the year. I wanted to begin by addressing the topic of Competition. Pay attention to what Jesus says. He says,

Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

Drinking from the cup of destiny is a choice? It is up to you to accept the baptism of Jesus or not as it relates to being a leader to His body. No one will force you. So my question is “Are you willing? “ If so, I won’t you to go on to the next part.

“The cup” was a common Jewish metaphor that spoke about destiny. (Hutchinson, pg. 53) It could represent either blessing or judgment. In Jesus’ case he was asking his disciples if they could drink from the cup that was similar to His, are you willing to endure suffering for the position you are desiring? In James and John’s case, that meant suffering persecution. James was martyred and John was imprisoned. Now, I am not at all implying that you have to be martyred or go through the same hardship as the early Apostles. My point is that leadership has a cost and that cost is a part of “the cup” of destiny. Jesus isn’t saying this to mean that all leaders have to suffer in the same way, but there is a cost to laying down your life for Jesus Christ to serve His bride.

Let’s take the modern day example of Bill Johnson, the Leader of Bethel Church. He leads a staff, and team and church of over 3000 people. From the outside, His life may look ideal. Yet, if you think about it, he pays a cost of being the leader of our worldwide movement:

1. Traveling and being away from his family is a sacrifice.

2. Managing an environment often people can be challenging let alone thousands.

3. Criticism-If a student or someone on staff does something wrong, or one of his staff because he is the leader, he bares the blame and responsibility of bringing correction.

There are probably other costs such as personal relationships and other things we are not aware of that he has to pay in order to keep his movement moving forward. The point is the cup you are drinking will require personal sacrifice and anything you are not willing to give over to the Lord .

The final point is Jesus appoints leaders and gives them authority. Jesus uses the phrase “exercise lordship over them or “lord it over” (v. 42) and he was focusing on the motive for power some leaders adapt in their leadership. In a culture where self-magnification was important, he was asking his disciples not to seek positions of authority or human recognition or glory. He was encouraging them to seek greatness in sacrificial service to others. Jesus views this as the true greatness.

He also says the position that John and James were asking for are not his to give but it is for those in which it is appointed. Jesus chooses leaders and their positions. We are to humbling accept those positions or not. Yet, we don’t get to choose, we get to submit to God. The bible says “submit to God, resist, the enemy will flee from you.” (James 1:7) Your submission to God as a leader will protect you and give you power to resist the temptation of the enemy sending the enemy to flee from you.