James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and asked Him to let one of them sit at His right and the other at His left in His glory. (Mark 10:37). The other apostles became angry with James and John for doing this and Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as 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 slave of all” (Mark 10:42-43).
We may want to criticize James and John for seeking positions of honor and glory, but before we do, we need to take a good look at ourselves. Because of our sinful nature all of us would rather be the leaders and let someone else be the servants. This world’s society describes greatness as being in powerful positions, having a lot of wealth, prestige, or being great in the athletic or academic world, or being a winner in some beauty contest. In this selfish, self-serving and me-first world, a person is described as being great when they can demand service from other people. That is totally opposite of what Jesus taught.
It seems that most political leaders want to be called “public servants.” Sometimes it looks like they are thinking more of themselves than the people they are supposed to be serving. When I see on TV and read in the newspapers all of the criticism that these so-called “public servants” have for each other, it sure doesn’t look they have the attitude of serving anyone but themselves. When I look at all of the benefits that most politicians receive for their so-call “public service,” it makes me wonder whether they are serving the tax payer or the tax payer is serving these so-called public servants. 2000 years hasn’t changed things, just as Jesus said, “Their high officials exercise authority over them,” the high officials of every country in the world are still exercising authority over the people for their own advantage.
But let’s not just jump on the political world, the religious organizations of this world are just as guilty as the political systems. The disciples argued over who deserved the most prominent positions, over 20 centuries later religious leaders are still jockeying for positions and power in religious organizations all over the world. Religious history, and I mean all religions, is a story of strife, war, and power seeking. Too many times men and women start off being servants but end up being blinded by their hunger for attention and power. If you want to look for the real servants in the church, you might want to start by going to a funeral, where the women have spent hours and hours preparing a meal for the grieving family. And they almost never seek any kind of recognition for their work.
Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it” (Luke 9:23-24). It is hard for people to put others in front of themselves. All of us have the tendency to have that “me first” attitude. We all have the tendency to call attention to ourselves, rather than denying ourselves.
The Pharisees did their good deeds to impress other people (Matthew 6:2), but Jesus warned His disciples not to “show off” in doing their good deeds, because if they did they would not have any rewards in heaven (Matthew 6:1). Being a real servant and self-promotion are like water and oil, they don’t mix very well. The true servant will try to avoid the limelight as much as possible. They are content doing what God has called them to do without any praise from man. There are hundreds of “Halls of Fame and Who’s Who” in America, but you won’t find many real servants on these lists.
I am not saying that we should never receive praise from our fellow humans for the good work we have done for humanity, but to actively seek public recognition is not something a real servant does. True servants of God do not seek to put themselves first, they seek to make sure that what they are doing is fair to all concerned.
When Abraham and Lot decided to part company, Abraham said, “If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right I’ll go to the left” (Genesis 13:9). Abraham allowed Lot to choose the best land for himself. When offered money by the king of Sodom, Abraham told him that he didn’t want anything from him so that he could never say that he made Abraham rich (Genesis 14:23). When offered rewards Daniel said, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else” (Daniel 5:17). Paul told the Ephesians, “I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing” (Acts 20:33).
If we will keep our “spiritual eyes” open and look for places to serve, God will give us the opportunity. Paul wrote, “For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:33-11:1). And always remember, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them” (Hebrews 6:10).