Servant Leadership - Assignment Example

Servant Leadership al Affiliation: Jesus is taken aback by John and James’s mother request to have her sons given privilege in the kingdom. However, Jesus responds by asking them “Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?"(Mathew 20:22, New International Version). Here Jesus introduces a concept about greatness in the kingdom. The term “cup” Is used as a metaphor for suffering in the bible. "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.

" (Luke 22:42, New International Version). Therefore, greatness and privileges in the kingdom are paired with suffering. Jesus is quick to point out a major difference between world greatness and kingdom greatness. Christ states that privileges in the kingdom are assigned by only the Father (Mathew 20:22, New International Version). In our cultures, leaders are appointed or elected by other people. The appointment may be done by other senior leaders or elections by the mass through democracy.

In heaven, democracy does not work, the Father decides. Jesus describes the leadership of the Gentiles and compares it to that in heaven. Unlike Gentile leaders, Kingdom leaders must become servants to lead others (Mathew 20:22, New International Version). In describing the Gentile and Kingdom leadership, Christ points out a major defect in the leadership in our culture. Jesus says that in Gentile leaders seek to use authority to patronize others. Leadership in our culture is defined by power.

World leaders are gauged by how much power or wealth they have, much like the Gentiles. To become servant leaders, we must overcome the challenge of giving up on personal gains. Servant leaders need to offer themselves for the benefit of the people they lead. Christ states "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mathew 20:27-28, New International Version). Despite being the son of a king, Jesus goes on to demonstrates servant leadership when He dies on the cross for those that He leads.

However, in our culture we seek to use leadership to amass more power and wealth. We will only attain true leadership when we incorporate Christs style of Servant Leadership. References Biblica, Inc., & Zondervan Publishing House (Grand Rapids, Mich.). (2011). The books of the Bible: New International Version. Colorado Springs, Colo.]: Biblica, Inc: distributed by Zondervan.