For even the Son of man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28 (NLT)

Our text for today is taken from a story where the mother of James and John requested Jesus to allow her two children to sit on his right hand on and his left, in His kingdom. The request may have been a weird one, but it afforded Jesus a rare opportunity to teach about kingdom servanthood.

Though the world prizes money, possessions, leadership and authority, Jesus’ way of doing things flips that upside down. The first will be last and the last first—so we are called to serve rather than to lord it over others. Serving people is key to what it means to be a part of Jesus’ kingdom.
Jesus is the most significant example of kingdom servanthood. If anyone ever qualified as having authority, it is Jesus. But Jesus told His disciples that He has not come to be served but to serve. If Jesus came to be a servant, then we His followers are called to be servants too.

LESSON: Greatness is only discovered in servanthood. The servant or the one who serves is not a servant until the recipient or sender says so. Does God see you as a servant? Do the people of God see you as a servant?