Jesus teaches servant leadership

To lead is to serve. Far from compromising the principle of authority, which results in institutional anarchism, servant leadership strengthens the relationship between leaders and those who are led. Servant leadership is a principle taught in the Old Testament (2 Chron. 10:7), which expands in the New Testament, mainly through the teaching and example of Jesus.

Grasping for privilege and authority

Unfortunately, many pastors and leaders have the same attitude as Zebedee’s wife:

Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” (Matt. 20:20-21)

This request for privilege and authority in the Kingdom aroused a quarrel among the disciples. But when we clearly understand the question of God's sovereignty in choosing who sits where, we stop fighting and disputing for places in the Kingdom. Our attitude is one of humbly seeking the places and duties that God has prepared for us, instead of imposing our own agendas to the detriment of the Body as a whole.

Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” (Matt. 20:23)

When servant leadership is lived out by those Christ calls to lead His flock, the disputes and conflicts over leadership authority should come to an end. Submitting to the Father’s plan means submitting to spiritual leaders He has appointed, and not carving out our personal “careers” of spiritual authority.

Self-seeking results in conflict

Apparently, the disciples did not understand this, and as many leaders and pastors do today, they still selfishly disputed a place of authority in the Kingdom:

When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. (Matt. 20:24)

Here we have the first conflict between Jesus' disciples over places of honor and privilege. It is clear that the focus was not on how they would serve in the Kingdom, but on how they would exercise power and authority.

When the best places are sought and disputed, cooperation gives way to competition. Friends become enemies, brothers become adversaries, servants become mere power-brokers seeking to impose personal agendas over God’s will. Today similar disputes are multiplying in all instances of Christian leadership, ranging from places in the direction of a department or sector of the church to a place on the board or in some self-imposed position of leadership, defying the ideal of spiritual leadership embodied by the servanthood of Jesus.

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,  and whoever wants to be first must be your slave — just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:25-28)

May we be reminded that serving is the Kingdom paradigm of leadership, that scrambling for position, authority and recognition brings division to the body and contradicts the teachings of Jesus.

Joe Souza serves as the pastoral leadership development coordinator at the Baptist Convention of New England.