“It must not be like that among you”

What makes a good leader?

Power and control are very attractive to people. For some it’s about fame, for others it’s about a genuine desire to fix things.

Some men think that power and control are intrinsic to being a man, and that they are being godly when they exercise it even at the expense of others.

But a good leader is not one seeking power or control. He does not see people he serves as threats to him, or alternatively, vessels given to him to fulfil his needs. He is not more concerned with protecting himself than engaging with others. A leader is not one who portrays an image of himself for glory and forgets his own humanity, or who blames others for his mistakes.

A leader is one who will look people in the eye and not be afraid, who is gentle and cares, who engages, who listens, who commends, who encourages.

In short, a leader is one concerned with serving.

Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20:25-28 CSB

It was revolutionary back then, and it’s still revolutionary today. Good leadership is self-emptying. Loving.

Jesus set the standard for good leadership. It is the leadership that truly changes the world.