Lent Day 28: April 9

This morning we welcome guest blogger Phil Cronenwett who shares his thoughts on the challenges of servant leadership.

Lenten Reflection for Day 28

Date: Saturday April 9, 2011

Author: Phil Cronenwett

Bible Passage:

Matthew 23:11 (NRSV)

¹¹ The greatest among you will be your servant.

Reflection:

This passage, repeated twice in both Mark and Luke to give it emphasis, is one that is often difficult to reconcile with our modern lives. We have been taught to work hard, to be a success, to earn as much as possible, and to strive to be the best. This is the complete opposite of what Jesus says in this verse. He turns the late 20^th, early 21^st century view of what is important in our lives completely upside down. We are not to do anything and everything we can in order to be at the top of the heap; we are to be individuals who live godly lives and work in a community to help each other and, in fact to be servants to our community.

Becoming a servant, even conceiving of becoming a servant, is hard. When I was working full time, it was fun being the boss. I liked being able to tell colleagues what to do and when to do it. I enjoyed having everyone do what I told them to do. But in the long run, what really matters is not being the boss. What matters is my relationship to God, my relationship to members of my church family, and to the wider community. It is in this sense that Jesus tells us that we must be servants of all. We cannot begin to think that we are behaving in a manner appropriate to the Christian life if we cannot think of every other person as worthy of our concern, our compassion, our help, our love. This is what I believe Jesus was telling us in this passage.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, help me to understand the needs and wants of others so that I can be a servant within the community of faith. Amen.