Column: Servant Leadership in the Kingdom of God

Greetings to all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ on the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time. 
The Gospel today challenges us to consider what it means to be a true leader in the kingdom of God. The Gospel begins with a conversation between Jesus and the disciples about who will sit in the seats of authority in the new kingdom that he is establishing. The conversation reveals the selfish ambition and worldly ideas about leadership that the disciples held. 

Jesus summoned them and said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:42-45 

Jesus is quite clear that leadership in his kingdom will be very different than what has been understood and experienced by humanity up to this point and that he is going to lead the way by example. The kind of leadership that Jesus has modeled and calls his followers to put into practice can be described as servant leadership. Today I would like to offer some principles of servant leadership and paint a clearer picture of what it looks like in the life of a disciple. 

Principal #1 - Humble your heart: Servant leaders must humble themselves before God and to the mission that he has entrusted to them. "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." James 4:10 "If you ask me what is the most essential element in the teaching ... of Jesus Christ, I would answer you: the first is humility, the second is humility, and the third is humility." St. Augustine 

Principal #2 - Be a follower of Jesus: Servant leaders follow Jesus rather than seek a position. It is our natural tendency to equate leadership with position. Jesus on the other hand taught that suffering with him comes before reigning with him. Jesus taught that we learn to lead by learning to follow. "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23 

Principal #3 - Find greatness in service: Servant leaders must give up personal rights to find greatness in service to others. We tend to see our freedom as something only for 
ourselves. Jesus showed us a different way. "For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love." Gal. 5:13 

Principal #4 - Take risks: Servant leaders take risks in serving others because they trust that God is in control. Only when we trust God can we risk losing ourselves to the service of others. ''Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

Principal #5 -Take up the towel: Servant leaders take up the towel of servanthood to meet the needs of others. Jesus stepped down from his place at the Last Supper to set an example for his disciples. He took up the towel and washbasin of a servant to model his mission and show his love for those he called to carry out that mission. "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you." John 13:14-15 

Principal #6 - Share the mission with others: Servant leaders are open to working together with others to fulfill the work of the kingdom of God. Jesus equipped his disciples to carry out a worldwide mission, and he shared both his responsibility and authority with the disciples. Those same disciples shared their responsibility and authority with others to further the work of the kingdom. "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." 1 Cor. 14:4-7 common good."



Photo copyright Adobe Stock / Rita C Pereira