Jesus' Generals

Years ago I attended a Pastor’s Conference which featured a minister then in great prominence. I was standing outside of the mega-church where the meetings were held just as Rev. Smith (not his real name) arrived in a chauffeur driven Lincoln. As it pulled up, a man sprang from the front door and retrieved a top coat and briefcase from the trunk. He went to the back door of the car and after opening it for our dear brother, lovingly put the coat around the man’s shoulders. I waited for Bro. Smith to acknowledge the man’s kindness, but did not see even so much as a courteous nod. Rev. Smith stood until his servant led the way, carrying his material. Later, during a presentation, Bro. Smith coughed and another man raced to the podium and placed a cough drop in his mouth! Needless to say, I never listened to another word that man spoke. He was in love with himself! Not too long after that day, his lack of moral integrity, infighting with other preachers, and sexual sins became known and he disappeared into anonymity.

Jesus turned greatness upside down. On the worst night of His life, just hours from the Cross where He would carry the weight of sin for the world, where He would be subjected to humiliation and suffering beyond my comprehension, He saw his friends fighting over position. Did He scream, “What’s the matter with you idiots? Can’t you give me a minute’s peace?”  No, instead, He got up from the table, took off his shirt, and picked up the towel. He moved from man to man, washing feet! It was a job usually given to the household servant with the least seniority, one of the most menial tasks. When He finished this living lesson, "he took his robe, put it back on, and went back to his place at the table. Then he said, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You address me as ‘Teacher’ and ‘Master,’ and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other’s feet. I’ve laid down a pattern for you. What I’ve done, you do." (John 13:12-15, The Message)  Before reading on, take time to reflect on this profound moment!

Jesus’ generals don’t seek limousines and servants as symbols of their importance. They serve. Is your ego in check? Do you love to be served, fawned over, and pampered? Do you wait for recognition, positioning yourself to be noticed? That’s the picture of ‘greatness’ we see every day. Celebrities live for notice. The powerful demand perks and privilege.

We’re tempted, in our own small world, to make the same thing happen. How do you treat the clerk at the coffee shop? Is she a non-person, just someone to pour your cup, or a person you can serve with kindness? That person who fails to hit the gas pedal within a nano-second of the light change, is he just a ‘driver’ to you, or a person you can serve with a quick prayer of blessing? How did you treat your spouse this morning? Did you tenderly serve with love?

Here’s a word from the Word. Here is wisdom to live by, a way of greatness hidden from those without a heart full of the Spirit of Christ Jesus. “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first 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.” (Matthew 20:25-28, NIV)