Many are currently living in reverse world. Much of what the Bible teaches and exhorts has been reversed or the world has temporarily tried to turn these ideals on their head. The true way things are suppose to be are outlined in the Bible and Christ was the perfect role model. You as a spiritual leader in the Body or Church are to be a servant of the servants at the King's table [Greek: diakonoi] which the word "service" is derived from. It also is the derivative of a word that essentailly means waiter or butler. No leader or pastor in the Kingdom rises above being a butler or waiter to the Body that sits (like Mephibosheth 2 Samuel 9) at the King's table. A true leader loves those he leads. A true leader serves the needs of the servant or as Gregory the Great wrote: "Servus servorum Dei" Servant of the Servants of God.
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." ~John 10:11
At the table of the Lord the servants at the table are the Body of Christ itself. Jesus was the perfect example of this when he washed the disciple's feet. The servant leader serving the Body.
"Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. "But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant [Greek: diakonos]; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave [Greek: doulos] of all. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Mark 10:42-45
These terms of servant and slave are intentional and no accident. We do not build the Kingdom on the backs of the poor and downtrodden. We ARE the poor and downtrodden as servant leaders. The leader is to be a leader, and example, a teacher but he is not to be a king. Servant of the king yea, but a king, nay.
In 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 in reference to an Apostle of Christ, Paul says:
"So then, men ought to regard us as servants [Greek: huperetes] of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful."
The greek word "huperetes" was the particular type of slave that was chained or tied to others in a ships galley (1). Tt is no irony that there is a parallel between the connected nature of these slaves and the Christian tied together in Christ to other Christians...in a common bond like brothers and sisters.
(1) Willimon, William H.. Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry. New York: Abingdon Press, 2002. Print.
No comments:
Post a Comment