Sub-titled: So You Want to Be Great!
There is not a culture in the world that
naturally, by instinct, honors servanthood.
But Christ calls us to such a attitude.
Actually in Matthew 20:20-28 Jesus describes the attitude of servanthood using
two words. The first one we find in
verse 26. In the ESV it is simply
servant. It is the Greek word διάκονος
[diakonos /dee·ak·on·os/]. [1]
This noun
probably referred to someone who ran errands. Dr. Gary Inrig adds further insight by
describing this as a person who does the menial or the mundane; serves tables;
and depends on others. We consider
their work dirty and messy (ergo: footwashing (John 13)). They are undeniably people who rarely get
any recognition or praise.
If that isn't bad enough, Jesus also describes
them in another way. Notice Matthew 20:27 "and
whoever would be first among you must be your slave." From servant to slave. Not the word diakonos, but not the word
doulos.[2] Undoubtedly it’s a person
whose time is not his or her own; whose freedom is severely limited.
“It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,” (Matthew 20:26–27, ESV)
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