‘… even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many’ (Matthew 20:28).
Many (world) leaders are primarily focused on increasing and maintaining their own power and use others to achieve this end. Jesus described leadership from a completely different perspective. A good leader is willing to serve others. That is their motive in seeking the good for others.
The mother of two disciples had asked for places of honour for her sons in Jesus’ kingdom. But Jesus answered that it was only for His heavenly Father to decide. And God does not bestow special favors as a reward for good behaviour. The other disciples were indignant, and there followed an argument about who would be the closest to Jesus.
Jesus made it clear that His kingdom is not about who is the greatest, the strongest, the most important, or the richest. He had come to earth as the Son of God to serve mankind (Isaiah 53:4-5,10). He would even give His life for this. It is sad that His disciples were so preoccupied with themselves that they did not see that Jesus was present among them as a Servant.
Jesus did not quit because His friends could not see who He really was. He continued on His way to Jerusalem.Food for thought: The Son of Man came to serve. Reflect on these words for a few minutes. What message is in there for you? What is Jesus saying?