Servant Authority

You call me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

John 13:13-17

Jesus said, You call me Teacher and Lord: and you are right. Not only was he that by the inherent majesty of his person, not only had God made him that, the point he is making here is that the disciples had accepted that. They called him Teacher and Lord. They saw that he had authority, and followed him because of that. Why? Because he had served them! They voluntarily obeyed him because he had lovingly taken care of them, delivered them, comforted them, encouraged them, taught them, given himself to them, taken time to be with them, all to serve them. Because of that they found themselves eager to follow him, willing to obey him, even when they could not understand him.

Here in John, he says, I have set you an example that you also should do as I have done to you. This means two things: One, it clearly means loving service to one another. As Paul puts it in Galatians, By love, serve one another, (Galatians 5:13). This is to be true of all Christians, but especially those who are in positions of teaching and authority. Their authority, as leaders, will be directly related to their willingness to serve. But, second, Jesus means we have a ministry to one another to help keep our spiritual feet clean. Thus, he says in Matthew 18, If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you (Matthew 18:15). Paul captures this thought in Galatians 6, Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted (Galatians 6:1).

This great event in the Upper Room forms the basis for true church discipline and true leadership, and this constitutes one of the greatest challenges the church faces today. We are called to demonstrate a different kind of authority, but what we've done is to import the world's view into the church. We have popes, bishops, superintendents, and many kinds of hierarchical structures. We give authority to the man at the top. Jesus never taught that. He taught instead that he who serves wins the hearts of others. They will obey him, calling him Teacher and Lord, because he loves them and serves them. Note how Jesus emphasizes the importance of this.

Lord, continue to teach us that service comes with leadership. Help us to serve one another in love.