"Serve Me Last": A Reflection on the Gospel for October 21st, 2018: Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Mark 10:35-45

35 And James and John, the sons of Zeb'edee, came forward to him, and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." 36 And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" 37 And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." 38 But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" 39 And they said to him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.45 For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

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Servant leadership is a term I hadn’t heard much before I came to work at a para-Church organization. In my days working in the for-profit sector, the idea that my boss even had a clue who I was would have been baffling and/or terrifying. If the boss knew my name as an entry-level employee, it was either for a very good reason or a very bad reason. Either I was doing something that helped the corporation look good or I was causing monumental embarrassment. I made a point to fly below the radar.

Coming to a para-Church organization turned those ideas on their head. When I was first hired, I was surprised to learn that not only did the Board, to whom the Executive Director (my boss) reports, know my name, but they also genuinely cared about my family and ensured I was privately and publicly recognized for my service. After the first Conference I planned, I received a truly lovely note from the current President thanking me. And then after another important meeting, I had an email from our incoming President thanking me for taking time away from my family to serve. I put them on my fridge, believing that they would be rare occasions. But of course, I was wrong. I am blessed to work for a group of people who understand at their core the notion of servant leadership. It infects everything they do and how they interact with people like me who usually like to fade into the wallpaper.

As Christians, I think we are all called to this kind of leadership. We are called to truly see each other with God’s eyes and to ensure each of our brothers and sisters know they are valued. We shouldn’t recognize each other with the goal of improving someone’s performance or loyalty to the Church. We should recognize each other with the goal of showing them that they matter. We should do what we can to improve their perception of themselves and step out of our way to help improve their quality of life. Servant leadership means that we lead just as Christ led, not by claiming a seat at His right or left hand, but by taking our place in line to wash the feet of others.

Stephanie Potter

"Servant leadership means that we lead just as Christ led, not by claiming a seat at His right or left hand, but by taking our place in line to wash the feet of others." - Stephanie Potter (Ora Reflections)

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