Matthew 20:24–28: Now when the other ten heard this, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. It must not be this way among you! Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many”
I want to talk about how Jesus Christ’s coming has changed the political landscape. When Jesus said this, everybody just took it as normal for leadership to be about lording it over others.
But with the advent of Christianity, what do we see from Peter? Peter, who was one of those who heard this directly from the mouth of Jesus, said that the shepherd, the leader of the church, should not be lording it over God’s heritage but rather be an example to the flock (1 Peter 5:2–3). And when Paul talks to Timothy about being an example, he says, “Set an example for the believers” (1 Timothy 4:12).
Jesus is saying, “Look, I do not need to put out a billboard. I do not need to make an announcement. I do not need to give a long speech. I am the One who has shown you this example.” In Philippians 2, Paul wrote that Jesus Christ, though He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied Himself and humbled Himself (Philippians 2:6–8). The message is now not only in what is written; the message is a life lived out. As you behold Christ, your leadership becomes redefined; political leadership becomes redefined.
How did Jesus describe the kingdom? He described the kingdom as a seed sown, as yeast put somewhere, and over time you see the influence (Matthew 13:31–33). Over the centuries, we have seen the influence of Christ in the culture of the world, in the culture of leadership, in how things are done, and in what is even expected of leadership.
Because if you are reading this passage from the words of Jesus Christ, you begin to know this is what Christ is expecting—not just expecting, but what He Himself has laid down for us. He is the seed; we are outshoots of Him. He is the ultimate leader, and we are outshoots of Him. He is the ultimate Person, and we emerge from Him.
This passage makes a powerful contrast. He says, “You know…” This is not a lecture that we need to give you—that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them. The examples of the maximalist nature of the leadership around you are all around you. But Jesus is saying, “No. There is going to be an inversion of that. It must not be this way among you.”
What was happening here before Jesus stepped in was jostling for position; the ten were angry with the two over specific positions (Matthew 20:20–24). Why? Because of that feeling of power, that feeling of “I get to rule,” that feeling of elevation. And where do they get that example from? They get it from the environment—the rulers of the Gentiles—which makes elevated position attractive.
Jesus is saying, “No. I am going to give you a new definition of it. Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant.” How do you pair greatness with being a servant?
Jesus Christ is that example. He is Lord of all, but He said, “I did not come to be served but to serve, and to give My life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). To do something for the purpose of other people rather than to make other people serve Him. Rather, He is meeting the needs of many people, not having many people meet His needs; not having a domineering disposition over the Lord’s heritage.
As I said before, we see it powerfully exemplified by Jesus, who laid down a new order of leadership. So much so that this is what we have pervasive in leadership in the world now. The kind of leadership Jesus described here, about the rulers of the Gentiles lording it over them, is dying out. The kingdom of God, the way Jesus described it—starting small about two thousand years ago as a seed form, as a yeast form—has now taken over, whether you know it or not.
That thinking of servant leadership, that thinking that leadership is supposed to be about serving others, is pervasive now. It was not pervasive in the time of Jesus, but it is pervasive now. That is what I am talking about: the impact of Christ in history, in culture and in leadership.
Jesus was telling them, “No. Leadership is: you are going to be prominent for how you are serving all. What advantage you are going to give to all—that is going to be the measure of your leadership.” And that is what we are seeing now.
God bless you. See you later.