“Be A Servant, Not A Lord!”

“Be A Servant, Not A Lord!”(Mk.10:40-45).
Not long ago, I saw a video clip in which a hunter had to beat his dog mercilessly before he could remove from the dog’s mouth an animal that it had caught. From the clip, I could fully understand why our people say “a dog is after the chase for its own sake; not for its owner.”
If character is like pregnancy, which eventually reveals itself, so too is motive. The public can appraise ones zeal, but if the motives were known, such appraisals would not have been necessary. Just as time heals all wounds, so, too, does time reveal all motives. When men regard the act and applaud, God sees the intention and sighs.
Yesterday, we noted that Peter exhibited pride in sacrificial accomplishments when he said to Jesus, “We have left everything and followed you!” It wasn’t a mere expression of devotedness. Otherwise, his statement wouldn’t have been peremptory.
Peter’s statement was something like, “Now that we abandoned everything that was dear to us to follow you, what reward is there for us?”
Peter was not the only one with hidden ambition. When Judas Iscariot saw that the returns were delaying, he chose to sell Jesus. On their part, the sons of Zebedee were bold enough to voice their ambition to Jesus wanting that in his glory he should accord them the privilege positions of sitting one at his right and the other at his left(Mk.10:35-37).
Jesus replied that he had no authority to decide who sits where. “These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”
The yearning for privileged positions was the hidden ambitions of all the twelve. That is why “when the ten heard about this, they became Indignant with James and John.” Their indignation was a projection of their own secret ambitions revealing their motives. They did not just leave everything to follow Jesus! They were aiming for something higher and more lucracious! From common fishermen and loathed tax collectors, they were salivating on becoming ministers when Jesus became king of Israel!
Jesus seized the moment to school them on “Servant leadership.”
Leadership among the followers of Christ should not copy the bad example of secular leadership where rulers lord it over the people and the high officials exercise authority over the people. “Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant; and whoever wants to be first must be slave to all…”
Jesus was not just lecturing them on what leadership was about. He himself was the example. He “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Servant leadership is sacrificial; it is others first. It is not self-seeking. It is devotedness that does not nurse secret ambitions of personal rewards.
That notwithstanding, any labourer deserves his wages!
However, any Christian leader in any sphere of life should serve as overseers, not because they must, but because they are willing as God wants them to be; not greedy for money but eager to serve, not lording it over those entrusted to them, but being examples(Cf.I Pt.5:2-3).
Our reward is the crown of glory that we will receive from the Good Shepherd when he returns. It is an unfading crown!
Weekend prayer: Holy Spirit, prod us daily to see ourselves as servant leaders and not rulers and lords. Amen!
Have a blessed weekend! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.
06/02/2026.