The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 24 August 2019 – Servant-Leadership
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TOPIC: Servant-Leadership
READ: Luke 22:24-30 King James Version (KJV)
24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.
25 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
28 Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.
29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;
30 That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
THE MESSAGE:
St. Bartholomew, the Apostle, an apostle of Christ, is usually identified as Nathaniel. He was believed to have laboured as a missionary at India, Ethiopia and Armenia (present day Turkey) where he is widely believed to have been martyred.
In today’s reading, Jesus ministry, from human perspective, seems a failed ministry. This is because, though His ministry’s end was in sight, the apostles that would take over from Him seemed not to have learnt anything from Him. The Apostles, instead of being mindful of the virtues and rudiments Jesus was teaching them, were busy struggling for position and power.
Jesus did not give up on them, rather He still saw some potentials in them. In spite of the weakness, He continued teaching them the need for humility, submission and servant-leadership, which were the pillars of the ministry He would leave for them to continue to propagate.
This is a lesson for those aspiring to be leaders or already in leadership.
There is a great need for servant-leadership, humility, avoidance of power tussle (which seriously plagues our nation’s politics and Churches).
PRAYER: Lord, teach me to serve others in spite of my elevated position.
