Following the story of the entitled laborers (see MMOW7) Matthew tells us the story of the time one of the disciples’ mom told Jesus to give her sons special ranking in the Kingdom of God. As a mom, I can see where she’s coming from. As a follower of Jesus, I have to chuckle at the audacity of her request. Jesus has just told a story of all being equal in the Kingdom and privately instructed the disciples about what is in store when they reach Jerusalem. And still they sought to appear great as the world sees greatness.
True Greatness isn’t being stronger or better than others. When Jesus says ‘my yoke is easy and my burden is light’, the word we translate as ‘easy’ means well fitting or fit for use. A yoke is an apparatus that links two or more animals together so that they work as a team with each other and with the one leading them. For a yoke to work properly, without causing harm, it must be fit specifically to each animal. With this metaphor, Jesus is calling us to the life we are made for, following him in the Kingdom-on-earth-as-in-heaven.
God did not make human beings to dominate others or to be dominated by others. God made us in love, by love, and for love. We aren’t made to carry the burden of domination; we are made to wear the yoke of love.
Think of the phrase “fitting a square peg in a round hole.” We use this to talk about someone or something that isn’t meant to fit where it is and the frustration that arises when we try to force it. This is what Jesus means when he asks “can you drink from the cup I will drink.” He is asking if they will be able to set aside the very egos that are causing them to ask for higher status.
Jesus reminds them of the very freedom they have chosen to follow him into, “You know that those who rule the Gentiles show off their authority over them and their high-ranking officials order them around. But that’s not the way it will be with you. Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant.”(Matthew 20:25-26 CEB).
When we have the privilege and responsibility to lead others we must always remember we ourselves are still following Jesus. One of the greatest messages from the stories we have of the early church in the Acts of the Apostles is that no one tries to be the new head of the Church. They know the only one who is is Jesus.
Inciting fear or threatening others with harm isn’t leading. It is at worst coercion and at best control. Pretending to serve others in order to win favor or be known as the ‘greatest servant’ is still coercion and control. There is nothing loving in statements like “this is going to hurt me more than you” or “this is going to hurt but it’ll be good for you” or “look at all I’ve done for you.” When we are willing to intentionally cause harm to another or use guilt and shame, we are not leading, we are abusing.
Jesus-led leadership never willfully causes harm; it will never use guilt and shame as weapons. When a leader who is following Jesus unintentionally does harm those they are leading (because we are, after all, human), they admit it, learn from it, make reparations, and does the self-growth-work to not do that which caused harm again.
At times, each of us is a leader of sorts, whether it is with our kids and in our families, at work, on a team, navigating traffic as we drive, or a cart jam at the grocery store. We are given opportunities every day to model what it looks like to follow Jesus. This is leading. This is greatness in God’s Kingdom-on-earth-as-in-heaven.
This is how we love louder than the hate.
Mother Nancy's Coffee Thoughts 