Jesus’ Teaching on Leaders and Elders / Lords or Servants?

What did Jesus teach us about leadership and authority?  Why do we stray from it so fast, so easily?  Are we ignorant, or are we simply sinful in nature?  I guess it’s a bit of both.

Mark 10

Mark 10:42–45 (ESV) / 42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

In this great passage, Jesus tells the leaders of the church that it was typical in the gentile world for those who are considered “rulers” to “lord it over” others.  To “exercise authority.”  But Jesus made it quite clear that in his church, in their lives, they were not to be that way.  They were to be instead “servants” and “slaves” of each other.  The greatest would be judged by Jesus as the one who treated others as servants.

---

“Lord it over” / katakyrieuō / have power over, subdue, show one’s authority

“Exercise authority” / katexousiazō / have dominion over, rule, tyrannize

<< CONTRASTED WITH >>

“Servant” / diakonos / servant, helper, waiter, messenger

“Slave of all” / doulos / slave, one in subjection

---

The contrast in these passages, and the message of these passages, couldn’t be more clear.  Yet, those who desire to be “first” can and will shuffle these things off of their thoughts and minds and desire power still.  This is Jesus’ will.

Not only was this Jesus’ will, it was his very example.  It is how he led.  “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

This is not so in many places, and in many churches.  We need to repent.  Please take more time to study this passage more and drink in its beauty — rather than ignoring it further.

There is one other passage where Jesus speaks to this topic.

Matthew 23

Matthew 23:8-12 / 8But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. 9And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

This passage revolves around not accepting or assuming titles that make us sound greater than others.  This is largely forgotten in our world.  Let’s examine them.

Title	Reason	Further Rationale
Rabbi (teacher, master)	You have ONE teacher	You are all brothers
Father (authority)	You have ONE authority	Who is in heaven
Instructor (guide)	You Have ONE instructor	The Christ is the ONE

Jesus is not legalistically telling us to avoid these titles, but rather to avoid the attitudes of pride that come with the titles.  If we enjoy our position more than our Lord, we become arrogant and look down on others.  Jesus gives us no reason to do so.

Let’s bullet point the depth of instruction above.

• Don’t go around thinking you are the “teacher,” because the people already have a teacher, the “one” teacher, that is Christ.
• Don’t go around thinking that you are the source of all the life around you; you are not its progenitor, that is God.
• Don’t go around thinking that you are superior to others, for all the others around you are your brothers.  There is no inferiority or superiority in Christ.

Similarly to the Mark 10 passage above, Jesus looks at the other side of the coin; if not arrogance and pride that controls and constrains us, then what?

Here are Jesus’ conclusions in this section…

Actions Results

The greatest among you shall be your servant

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled

Whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

There is no perplexity to these ideas; humility is proper, God works against the arrogant, and he will one day exalt the humble ones.  The other thing that is noticed here is the actions that are done; we are to actively be “servants” of others, we are to avoid at all costs “exalting” ourselves, and we should be about “humbling” ourselves.  God will do the exalting.

Now we will look at Peter and Paul’s view on leadership.