²⁴ A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. ²⁵ And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. ²⁶ But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. ²⁷ For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves. Luke 22:24-27

Who would have guessed! The revered Apostles, the most important and privileged men on earth at the moment, are in conflict, disputing among themselves which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. They are wondering, understandably, who will succeed Jesus in superiority, once he is gone from the scene, for certainly Jesus’ church must have a leader and inevitably he will be appointed, we assume, from among us twelve. That role of leader which our Lord has modeled so flawlessly will fall logically to the greatest of us, right?

This familial contention happened at least on two other occasions, each one following Jesus’ prediction that he would suffer betrayal and be killed.

And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” ³⁴ But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. (Mark 9:33-34)

An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. (Luke 9:46)

Indignancy also broke out in their ranks when the ten heard that James and John requested a special place at Jesus’ right hand in glory, obviously seeking prominence above the others (Matthew 20:20-28).

Dissention or not, the disciples approached Jesus on yet another occasion after he predicted his death, fishing for the same accolade:

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 18:1)

While we’d love to believe that the disciples’ quarrels involved mere curiosity without self-promotion, it seems certain that pride of place and prominence motivated their bickering. Each of them is anticipating Jesus will state the obvious: “Oh Apostle ____, you clearly stand out as the greatness among all the others!” Not offering such adulation, consequently, you can be sure Jesus provoked much bewilderment with this declaration:

For he who is least among you all is the one who is great. (Luke 9:48)

No doubt the disciples were startled hearing this same warning multiple times:      

For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. (Matt.23:12; Luke 14:11;18:14)

At one level, the Apostles ask a fair question regarding the greatest among them; someone needs to step into the leadership void created by Jesus’ departure, and surely it ought to be one of us whom he chose to walk so closely beside him. Every organization needs a leader; kings rule countries, generals command armies, presidents guide universities, CEOs direct corporations, shepherds lead flocks of sheep. Jesus acknowledges the concept of greatness and the role of leaders in v.26:

Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.

God puts people in places of leadership and elevates some to positions of greatness. Jesus promises a few sentences later that they themselves will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. That the phrase from the least to the greatest is used commonly in the Bible to refer to the breadth of stature in humanity (eg. for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, Hebrews 8:11; Rev.19:5) shows us that greatness itself is not problematic, for it is inevitable in social structures that some stand in positions above others with greater power. Jesus certainly did! So, the Apostles can’t help but speculate, Who will take Jesus’ place as the greatest, because clearly he is the unparalleled greatest of all?

But at another level, as Jesus indicates, their assumptions are flawed, imitating the thinking of godless Gentile rulers, who revel in greatness, failing to be humbled by the facts:

Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust… All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness. (Isaiah 40:15-17)

Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath. (Psalm 62:9)

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. (Rom.13:1)

Because pagan leaders do greatness the wrong way, pridefully promoting their own glory rather than God’s, failing to rule as under the mighty hand of God (1 Peter 5:6), Jesus jarringly warns, But not so with you. I leave you with a radically different approach to leadership; ruling is not about status and self-exaltation but servanthood, becoming as the youngest rather than striving for prominence. Having acknowledged the obvious in popular culture in v.27 (For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table?), Jesus immediately modifies conventional wisdom’s paradigm: But I am among you as the one who serves. My Apostles, I have modeled a radically new vision of greatness, a not so with you kind of leader, which you men saw demonstrated in me day in and day out. You observed me trudging all over the dusty countryside, serving the helpless and destitute by healing the sick, touching the leper, crossing storm-ravaged lakes in a small boat, getting down and dirty with the poor, delivering the oppressed from demons, teaching the ignorant, and feeding the hungry. I had nowhere to lay my head (Luke 9:58); I never sought to buddy up to the influential power-brokers to bolster my own reputation. Let my example reorient your view of greatness; you should strive to be the least. Measure your impact in terms of who and how much you serve. I served those who had no means to return the favor (Luke 14:14), revealing the glory of my Father’s mercy on the undeserving (Luke 6:35-36).

Now for our critical question:

Are elders in the church, therefore, leaders or servants? How can you be both at the same time?

The Bible is clear that:

• the elders are charged to shepherd Jesus’ flock (1 Peter 5:1-6);
• they are called to exercise authority and to rule in the church (1 Thess. 5:12-13; 1 Tim.3:5;5:17);
• they are appointed by God to exercise oversight (1 Peter 5:2);
• they are ordained in Jesus’ stead to feed and tend his sheep (John 21:16-17), who themselves are commanded to obey their leaders (Heb.13:17; 1 Peter 5:5);
• certain leaders may seem to be influential, but God shows no partiality (Gal. 2:6,9);
• they should use the gift of leadership with zeal (Romans 12:8).

Elders are privileged to lead as Jesus led: he inspired followership by his character, instilled confidence by his temperament, set a course worthy of pursuing, modeled a tone of prayerful submission to his Father (John 8:29), and established a destiny to clear and admirable goals: Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). He set the bar high (Matt.5:20) and practiced what he preached (Luke 14:27).

Yet, Luke 22:24-27 makes it clear that, in the pattern of Jesus, elders are servants also, as our Redeemer, speaking to the Apostles (the prominent leaders of the church) made clear:

Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. (v.26)

Jesus embodied the glory of servant-leadership. He reclined at table as a leader, being served, never denying his own greatness; he also served: But I am among you as the one who serves.

For even the Son of Man [no potentate more exalted, see Daniel 7:13; Rev.1:13] came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)

Jesus demonstrated servant leadership not only by giving his life as a ransom for many, a supreme, unparalleled act of sacrificial, other-centered servanthood, but also when he, your Lord and Teacher, washed the disciple’s feet:

If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. ¹⁵ For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. ¹⁶ Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant  is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. (John 13:14)

This example of serving is all the more remarkable because it is, in fact, modeled by the Master who unquestionably and immeasurably is greater than the Apostles, who are his servants (Paul, servant of Jesus Christ…. Romans 1:1). So, elders have reason, by virtue of the stunning example set by Jesus, that you also should do just as I have done to you, to serve others by stooping low in love to wash their feet; that is, to use their resources to meet the pressing needs (whether spiritual or physical) of inferiors. Elders assume a posture toward others that fundamentally puts them on their knees below others. That’s why Peter explains that spiritual gifts, including leadership, are received…to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace. (1 Peter 4:10) Leaders lead in order to serve others. This paradox is revealed in our Lord Jesus who is simultaneously Son and Servant of God (Isaiah 42:1f), just as God created Adam his son and servant. This paradox will also exist into eternity. The exalted King of Glory in heaven will be served by all his redeemed and, stunningly, he will also serve them:

Luke 12:37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 

The Son of Man forever reigns as the King of glory (Psalm 24:7), the sovereign of the nations (Rev.1:5), the Everlasting God (John 8:58), bearing the name above all names (Phil.2:9). He is the one we are called to serve with all gladness (Ps.100:2), to serve without fear (Luke 1:74), serve through trials (Acts 20:19), and serve in our employment (Colossians 3:24).

These two callings, leading and serving, are not in competition, conflict or contradiction. In the heart of Jesus they exist in perfect harmony, revealing a God who is simultaneously both king, Leader of leaders, and servant par exellance to his people by providing, directing, protecting, defending, promoting and empowering them, condescending as the Lord on high to regard the lowly (Psalm 138:6) .

Jesus is revealed vividly as servant-leader in his role as the Good Shepherd (Psalm 23; Psalm 80:1; Isaiah 40:11; Ez.34:11f; Micah 5:4; John 10). He guides, protects and feeds his flock as their leader; yet, because all of this results in their welfare, he does so with a watchful eye toward serving their needs. He brings good to them, the explicit ambition of a servant, by leading his flock beside still waters, into green pastures, in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake, and even through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23). As servant, his heart pants after their welfare, not his own, proven by his serving them in the greatest way possible, at the immeasurable expense of his own well-being, He laid down his life for the sheep to accomplish their redemption (John 10:11). Jesus became nothing less than a lamb led to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7). Just as Jesus is both lamb and shepherd (Rev.7:17), so servant-leaders are both Jesus’ lambs and his shepherds (Ps.78:70-72).

What principles of servant-leadership do we learn from Luke 22:24-27? How does a not so among you church elder exercise his God-given authority?

 

1. Leading under submission

Servant-leaders lead others under Christ’s lordship, just as children are under the authority of their parents; they obey and follow him, longing to imitate him, and will answer to him (James 3:1; Hebrews 13:17). Their authority, which God could remove at any moment he might will, is derivative authority, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven (Colossians 4:1), and confessing with any other religious or community leader: For I too am a man under authority (Matthew 8:9). This leader stewards the resources of the King of Kings, refusing to think he is something extraordinary:

So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’ (Luke 17:10)

There is, indeed, a kind of greatness in leadership, acknowledged by Jesus in v.27, by virtue of the position and authority bestowed, by virtue of having greater power to make decisions and to direct servants. But this greatness does not make a leader greater in personhood than anyone else; rather, he has greater responsibility than others to steward his authority, to be faithful to Jesus and his gospel, to promote Christ’s kingdom instead of his own.

This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. ² Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.  (1 Cor.4:1-2)

Church leaders bear the burden of greater accountability for their authority and opportunities:

Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. (Luke 12:48)

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account.  (Hebrews 13:17

Servant-leaders confess that there is only one great person, God.

Neither he who plants or he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. (1 Cor.3:8)

For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. (Gal. 6:3)

Servant-leaders should incessantly tell themselves “I am nothing” and never tire of standing in awe of the Lord’s sovereign choice to elevate them to leadership, wondering, Why me Lord? I don’t deserve this, having this ministry by the mercy of God… (2 Cor.4:1). They seek vigilantly to maintain a sober perspective on their gifts and calling, scrutinizing how highly they may be thinking about themselves:

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.  (Romans 12:3)      

Because Jesus called them to serve, they strive to please him and not to seek the approval of man:

For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, ⁴ but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. (1 Thess.2:3-4)

“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” ¹⁸ For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. (2 Cor.10:17-18)

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)

…for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. (john 12:43)

 

2. Leading as the youngest

Servant-leaders regard themselves in relation to others as the youngest. The word as is key, meaning in like manner; it is the way they lead that is in view. Servant-leaders willingly become in their mindset as the youngest, who, by definition, implicitly trust in their providers, know they need correction, have to abide by the rules, look for someone greater to emulate, have to wait for exaltation, defer to their superiors, yield to the will of the group, and possess very limited rights (just as in our culture children cannot vote, drive, or purchase certain commodities until coming of age; see Galatians 4:1-2, where Paul equates the status of children-heirs with slaves until their coming of age). True leaders give up the right to be autonomous decision-makers; they understand their limitations, their dependence, and their need of others, seeking to make decisions in consultation with others. A longtime friend, who ascended to the highest ranks in Bank of America leadership, explained to me that he always asked his colleagues to critique his thinking, and never made decisions except in collaboration with others on his team.

This kind of leader gives up his right to have his own way; rather, he works for a consensus among his fellow co-laborers believing that collegial unity manifests the mind of Christ. He practices careful listening to the concerns of those around and beneath him. To rule as the youngest, i.e., as a child, this leader self-consciously gives up the right:

• to not be challenged or critiqued, thinking I’m always infallible.
• to control others, treating them as at my disposal.
• to be esteemed or seen as competent or correct, maintaining a polished image.
• to self-importance, as if I am more significant than others (Phil.2:3).
• to be seen in a privileged light.
• to glory in special titles.
• to be the most important guy in the room.
• to be viewed as indispensable to the cause.
• to have my voice override all others.
• to have everyone bow to my whims.
• to be served, as if serving others was below me.
• to not have his performance reviewed, as if he was untouchable.

Jesus exhorts leaders to become as the youngest because they are not naturally this, and must intentionally work at it, consciously resisting the allure of the Gentiles’ style of ruling. But not so with you.

 

3. Leading with watchfulness over the heart

Servant-leaders are vigilant to dispel any inclination to be great, to be noticed, to be acknowledged, to be esteemed, or to be viewed as above others. They put no confidence in the flesh, in outward appearances:

We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. (2 Cor.5:12)

They resist the need to make a name for themselves or to build their own kingdom, refusing to cherish a status or to establish a reputation. After all, children had no status in ancient times. It is sufficient to bear the name of Jesus and to speak for him by his Spirit. They find greatness being the least among others (Luke 9:48). An extreme example of the peril of reveling in greatness, without humbling one’s heart before God, is Herod, who, when he took adoration for himself, immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the gory. The humiliation of Nebuchadnezzar should suffice as warning enough for any leader (Daniel 4:28f).

Humble leaders guard their hearts from the potential treachery which lurks within:

Keep your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. (Prov.4:23)

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. (Rom.6:12)

…abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.  (1 Peter 2:11)

 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Gal.5:16)

 

4. Leading consciously unlike unbelievers

Servant-leaders resist being called a benefactor. Jesus corrects conventional culture’s corruption of Kingdom values. Are you tempted to imitate the world’s expression of leadership? Jesus says: Not so with you. You don’t hang your identity on titles, nor take titles for yourself; you find your significance living under Christ’s lordship for his glory alone. Ironically, Jesus is the true benefactor (he went about “doing good”), as described by Peter  in Acts 10:38. Humble leaders aspire to see all the glory go to Jesus for any fruit born through their labors.

By the grace of God I am what I am. (1 Cor.15:10)

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever, Amen. (Romans 11:36)

Servant-leaders disdain self-promotion, wanting all the attention to center on Jesus:

For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. (2 Cor.4:5)          

Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. ⁵ Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, ⁶ who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Cor.3:4-6)

 

5. Leading with a servant disposition

Servant-leaders embrace an upside-down iteration of greatness; in light of Jesus’ example of serving the lowly of us all, they now measure greatness by how they serve, and who they are willing to serve. Jesus served the least, including his enemies (Matt.5:44; Luke 23:34). The disciples wanted greatness- they wanted to be served. Jesus says, you want greatness? Express it in who you will serve. By definition, servants serve those more important than themselves. The sole purpose of a servant is to keep their eyes on others to meet their needs. They can’t possibly serve with their eyes on themselves. They exist to be attentive to whatever brings benefit to those over them. They fulfill their calling by giving to others what is needful, not by taking anything for themselves.

Jesus calls his leaders to serve not themselves for some title, but rather, others for their edification. Nothing you do in your leading should be for you, just as Jesus died for sins that were not his:

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. ² Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. ³ For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” (Rom.15:1-3)

Healthy leaders should be arguing about who can outdo the other in honor (Rom. 12:9), about who obviously is greater than me, unlike Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first. (3 John 9). Humble leaders are profoundly cognizant of the superabounding grace, patience, kindness, compassion and mercy with which Jesus is constantly loving and preserving them, so they long to embody the same:

And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, ²⁵ correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. (2 Tim.2:24-26)

 

6. Leading to set others free

Servant-leaders take initiative to fix what is broken; Jesus did this constantly, whether human bodies, attitudes, or spiritual conditions. Because Jesus rebuked the corruption of the religious leaders of his day (Matthew 23), servant-leaders refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God. (2 Cor.4:2) They serve us by leading us out of the prison of sin and selfishness into the freedom of enjoying life under his dominion (2 Cor.4:11-12). Leaders use their authority to promote conditions in which others thrive and in which the disadvantaged are elevated, just as Jesus spent so much time with the outsider, destitute, marginalized, and despised of society. (Luke 7:34) Paul esteemed the believers in Thessalonica in such a way that they were loved as both a mother and father would care for their children. (1 Thess.2:7,11)

 

7. Leading as less important than others

Servant-leaders embrace the attitude, in humility count others more significant than yourselves (Phil2:4), and therefore, risk their safety to promote other’s welfare. This conviction drove Paul to dangerous places: Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 21:13) This dying-to-self mode of leadership drove Jesus to the cross and models the servant leadership of husbands who love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. (Ephesians 5:25)

 

8. Leading for the team not for oneself

Servant-leaders are not called to a position (I am senior pastor!), but to a team and its mission. They won’t use their position to another’s disadvantage, but rather for another’s promotion (2 Cor.4:15). They ask not what they themselves desire, but rather, what the sheep need, endeavoring to use their authority to bring that to pass. They lead with an apron tied around their waist for the benefit of others, not themselves (1 Peter 5:5), entering Session meetings as into a barn, not a board room, ready to care for sheep. Their knowledge and gifts pale in comparison to their love for those they serve:

And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. (1 Cor, 13:2)

So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. (1Thess.2:8)

Therefore, elders should aim to rule with wisdom, truth and grace, as they fix their gaze upon Christ, relishing his mercy, kindness, beauty, power, glory, humility, gentleness, and authority.

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. (1 Cor.2:2)

They must pray constantly for the mind of Christ…

…who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Phil.2:6-8)

 

9. Leading without comparing to others

Luke 22, v. 24: "A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest." Apparently, the disciples can’t resist comparing themselves to one another. No doubt, as well, they will be tempted to imitate the leadership style of unbelievers. Servant-leaders resist envying the successes of others, stewing jealously over others’ powers, prominence, performance, or prowess. They also resist the need to prove they are better than others. They refuse to admire the success or status of secular rulers who govern by godless principles. They also resist the temptation to find their value in comparison to other church leaders:

Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. (2 Cor.10:12)

 

10. Leading with the tools God supplies

The servant leader depends radically on the word of God, as that which frames all that he does and transforms those he serves (1 Thess.2:13), not his persuasive powers of lofty speech (1 Cor.2:1). He uses it for the edification of others (2 Tim.4:2), as a sword for heart surgery (Hebrews 4:12). He also values the counsel of others, knowing he alone has no business making autonomous decisions:

Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. (Prov.11:14)

…for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory. (Prov.24:6)

 

11. Leading as a vessel

Humble leaders know that they are mere vessels in the hand of God. One of the Hebrew words for humility referred to a conduit or pipe. Servant leaders know that unless the grace, wisdom, and power of God flows through them, carrying to others only what God can supply, their efforts will be in vain (2 Cor.3:4-5). That is why a servant leader must be diligent to cleanse himself from what is dishonorable…[and then] will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. (2 Tim.3:21) He sees himself carrying the gospel as a jar of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. (2 Cor.4:7)

Humble leaders know they serve as vessels completely at the Lord’s disposal:

But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are the work of your hand.  (Isaiah 64:8)

 

 

12. Leading while scrutinizing one's motives

The Apostle Peter heard all these words of Jesus, watched Jesus conduct himself as a servant-leader, and submitted to Jesus washing his feet. Therefore, he wrote with legitimate authority the admonition of 1 Peter 5:1-3:

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: ² shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; ³ not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 

Notice that Peter has little to say about shepherding skills for elders, but he is quite concerned with their motives. By warning against sinful intentions, Peter acknowledges how easily power corrupts, how tempted humans are to pride of place, self-importance, and an idolatrous need for control and admiration. Sadly, that’s why the church now has books entitled Bully Pulpit and When Narcissism Comes to the Church. Clearly, the implications of Peter’s words are, the worst kinds of leaders are proud, arrogant, and self-promoting, while the ideal kind are humble and other-centered. True shepherds heed his warning a few verses later: God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (v.5). They want to serve others being examples to the flock who clothe themselves [to tie a servant’s apron around the waist] with humility toward one another (v.5), and humble themselves under the mighty hand of God (v.6), seeking no exaltation for themselves. Their humility expresses itself in constant recognition that “I need God to serve me by keeping me from ruining myself! I am the greatest threat to the welfare of my church and if left to myself will harm it. I have nothing that is not on loan from God; everything I possess is by pure grace, a sheer gift, an undeserved stewardship.”

What are the temptations accompanying the exercise of authority in the church? Peter contrasts three sinful motives with three godly motives:

v.2 not under compulsion, but willingly

Humble servants are not driven by something to prove. They are not compelled by the need for attention, attribution, or accolade. Their identity rests not on their status or performance, but secure in their union with Christ. Nor are they merely going through the motions. Called by Jesus to this work, it is their delight to serve Jesus by serving others. They shepherd according to God’s will, in the pattern of Jesus who willingly laid down his life for the sheep. In some churches, men get “stuck on the elder board”, as if in prison, being told, “it’s about time you served.” True elders accept the call voluntarily with joy, gratitude, and humility. For them the office is not a duty or grim burden, but a privilege. They experience a paradox, believing: I’m not worthy or sufficient for this (2 Cor.2:16), but for Christ’s sake I want to serve because I’m burdened by the need. A sense of holy compulsion makes him willing: “If it is God’s will, by his grace I will serve.” After all, he aspires to a noble task (1 Timothy 3:1).

v.2 not for shameful gain, but eagerly

Shameful indicates greed satisfied through fraud, such as preachers who are in it to make money off of trusting people, or the business owner who realizes that as an elder he gets more visibility so he can grow his business. The true shepherd is eager to rule well, and may also make a living:

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. ¹⁸ For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” (1 Tim.5:17-18)

v.3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 

The verb domineer indicates forcefully subduing, such as using threats or intimidation. What a horrible example! The humble leader, like Jesus, models servanthood and uses his status as a platform to bless others. He is looking for feet to wash:  If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. ¹⁵ For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. (John 13:14-15) The example he sets is one of humble, other-centered servanthood after the pattern of Jesus in his care for the flock. He cares for the flock as if each one was actually Jesus: And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (Matt. 25:40) A servant-leader exemplifies the gospel-transformed life:

You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. (1 Thess.2:10)

What can we expect to see when elders lead as servants? The sheep under their care will gladly follow them, as the disciples followed Jesus. The sheep will also find joy serving others, as their leaders have served them. Humble servanthood will contagiously mold the flock into a community of other-centered examples of the glory of Jesus.

 

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Rev. Michael Sharrett is a pastor in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a graduate from Westminster Theological Seminary and an individual member of the World Reformed Fellowship.