DATE WRITTEN: Thursday, 2021-03-11
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

BIBLE REFERENCE: Matthew 20:25-28
TRANSLATION: Good News Translation (GNT)

BIBLE TEXT: ²⁵ So Jesus called them all together and said, “You know that the rulers of the heathen have power over them, and the leaders have complete authority. ²⁶ This, however, is not the way it shall be among you. If one of you wants to be great, you must be the servant of the rest; ²⁷ and if one of you wants to be first, you must be the slave of the others— ²⁸ like the Son of Man, who did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life to redeem many people.”

OBSERVATION: I wonder if national leaders have servants who teach their children what it means to be the son/daughter of the greatest person in that nation? Or the first one that their people will think of as their leader? Or the supreme leader in not just their country, but a strong world leader? Do you do something like this with your children? In our Scripture today Jesus teaches how His children attain greatness; top level leadership; and supreme in our personal achievements. Meditate with me as we mull this over and apply it to our lives.

APPLICATION: Having served in church leadership roles, I had to apply this Scripture to my own life as I read the words of Jesus this morning. More importantly, as followers of Christ, I believe that Jesus wants us to apply His Word to our lives each and every time that we study the Bible, or hear it taught/preached. This Scripture was provoked because of a visit from the mother of James and John (two of the disciples), who asked Jesus to promote her sons to top ranks in His kingdom. The ten remaining disciples became angry, out of jealousy about this request. So Jesus knew this was an issue He had to deal with for the disciples, and for all those who would follow. It is so disconcerting that in this world, we tend to feel superior when we take charge. But look again at what Jesus taught – why would we feel superior, when we should follow His example and be a servant to those over whom we have assumed charge? Imagine walking into a banquet as a leader. You would assume that the head table is set for you and that you are to be seated and served first. But Jesus said that as a slave to the people, we should be serving them without expecting any recognition from them. Over the past year we heard the president of the USA being referred to as the leader of the ‘Free World’. That may be as close to anything we might call ‘supreme’ here on earth, but Jesus meant it in a whole new realm of thinking. You see, He was the son of the Most High God, yet instead of promoting that, He instead sacrificed His own life for the benefit of all who would believe on Him for eternal life. So I believe the question for us to ponder today about our position in life is: how sincere are we in our relationship with the King of all kings? Is He first in our lives? Is it evident to others who we belong to, based on our servanthood? In knowing everything about us, is it evident to God that we are following in the steps of Jesus and His ministry, His servant attitude, and His love for all those that He served?

PRAYER: Lord, I can’t say that I ever thought about being superior in any way while serving in leadership roles, for it was often a heavy load to carry. But this Scripture today has invoked a sense of urgency and commitment to concentrate on serving, way more than any possible benefit from leadership roles. My desire is to be just like You in all that I do or say, so I plead with You to direct me each and every day to achieve that desire and to walk the walk and talk the talk, as You would have Your followers to do. I also plead with You to impact the lives of my readers, oh that they too might seek Jesus above everything else in this world, and may we all glorify You name on earth, as it is in heaven. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog at https://NuggetsFromGodsWord.org that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and see all of my posts, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!