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The first time someone treats us like an important leader, it feels strange.

They insist we take the best chair.
They grab our heavy bags and carry them for us.
They serve us the first meal and insist we eat before others have food.
They thank us publicly, listing our strengths and titles.

We feel uncomfortable. We may even try to refuse.

But slowly something changes.

The special chair feels normal.
The praise becomes appreciated.
The gifts no longer surprise us.
We start to feel like we deserve to be served.

Soon we notice when these things do not happen.
Without realizing it, we begin to expect honor.

We may start to believe we are too important for small tasks. So we hesitate to serve.
We don’t like to do tasks that are considered lowly or ordinary like picking up trash, washing dishes, or cleaning the bathroom.

Those jobs are for someone else. Someone less important.

Jesus’ Final Act
Jesus showed that true leadership moves in the opposite direction.

As his ministry grew, large crowds came to see Him. People gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left in the house. Later people kept coming so constantly that Jesus and His disciples were not even able to eat (Mark 2:2; 3:20). Another time the crowd pressed so closely that it almost crushed Jesus (Luke 8:42).

Jesus became famous, but He never became proud.

He held dusty children.
He ate with sinners.
He spent time with those others ignored.

And as one of His final acts before His death, He did the work of the lowest servant – He washed feet.

Jesus did not use His position to rise above people.
He used it to kneel before them.

After His resurrection, he knelt again. This time, the Savior of the world cooked breakfast.

After His moment of greatest triumph, He handled stinky raw fish. He got his hands dirty preparing a fire. He spent time stirring the coals and flipping the meat.

Smelling of smoke and covered in dirt, He served those who had just betrayed Him.

If we want to walk in His footsteps, our leadership must follow the same pattern:
The greater our position, the more we serve.

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