"Servant Leadership"

^{Due to technical difficulties, this Sunday's sermon was not recorded. The manuscript of the sermon is provided below.}

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These days we hear a lot of talk about “leaders” and “leadership” Typically, leaders are seen as people who are willing to get out in front. They’re visionary and bold. They do what ever they have to do to get the job done. And, of course, if anything or anyone should happen to get in their way, they often step “over” them or even step “on” them if necessary.

To talk then about “servant” leadership, then, seems almost an oxymoron, like two things that don’t go together, like oil and water.  To our modern ears, the word “servant” smacks of groveling. Of having to kowtow and get down on your knees so someone can lord it over you.

In fact, the New Testament Greek word for “servant”, doulos, is exactly the same word used for a “slave”. To offer ourself as someone’s slave goes completely against our sinful human nature.

As we talked about in the sermon a couple of weeks ago on “submitting to one another” (August 23, 2009), none of us like to be on the bottom of the heap. We’d much rather be top dog, first in line, king or queen of the hill.

Which is exactly what the disciples were arguing about on way to Capernaum: about which one of them was “the greatest”. In fact, they have a similar argument again in the next chapter of Mark’s Gospel, when James and John ask Jesus for the best seats in the heavenly kingdom, one on His right hand and the other on His left (Mark 10:35-44).

Ending up on top and looking out for self is a symptom of the jealousy and pride that war against “the mind of Christ” (Philippians 2:5-11) the Holy Spirit is working to form in us.

We heard James describe the effects of that kind of spirit in our Second Reading:  “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice” (Jms 3:14-16).

And that’s why the “Servant of All” was put to death by ambitious men like the high priest, King Herod and Pontius Pilate. They thought they were exercising control and power, perhaps even “leadership”! But as St. Peter preached on Pentecost:  “this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised Him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it” (Acts 2:23-24).  

Yes, the Lord of all, demonstrated servant leadership by washing His disciples feet. But, it was by humbling Himself and sacrificing His life for our sins that He showed His greatest greatness.  “He who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:6-11).

This is the Lord to whom we humble ourselves we serve by serving others, even when we are called to serve as leaders in His Church. We “bend over backwards” to help because we know how far the Lord of heaven and earth bent over to rescue us from our own mess so that by His wounds we can be healed and one day be seated with Him in glory in the new heaven and earth.

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A true story. The homeless man slowly looked up. This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new. She looked like that she had never missed a meal in her life. His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before.  “Leave me alone”, he growled. To his amazement, the woman continued standing. She was smiling.  

“Are you hungry?” she asked. “No”, he answered sarcastically. “I've just come from dining with the president. Now go away.” The woman’s smile became even broader. Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm. “What are you doing, lady?” the man asked angrily. “I said to leave me alone. Just then a policeman came up. “Is there any problem, ma'am?” he asked.

“No problem here, officer,” the woman answered. “I’m just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?” The officer scratched his head. “That’s old Jack, ma’am. He’s been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?”  “See that cafeteria over there?” she asked. “I’m going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile”.  “Are you crazy, lady?” the homeless man resisted. “I don’t want to go in there!” Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up. “Let me go, officer. I didn’t do anything!”

“This is a good deal for you, Jack,” the officer answered. “Don’t blow it.”

Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived. The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by their table.

“What’s going on here, officer?” he asked. “What is all this?  Is this man in trouble?”

“This lady brought this man in here to be fed”, the policeman answered.

“Not in here!” the manager replied angrily. “Having a person like that here is bad for business!”

Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. “See, lady. I told you so. Now let me go. I didn’t want to come here in the first place”.

The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled. “Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?”

“Of course I am”, the manager answered impatiently. “They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms”.

“And do you make a goodly amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?”

“What business is that of yours?”

“I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company.”

“Oh”, was all the manager could muster in return.

The woman smiled again. “I thought that might make a difference”. She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a giggle. “Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?”

“No thanks, ma'am”, the officer replied. “I'm on duty.”

“Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?”

“Yes, ma'am. That would be very nice.”

The cafeteria manager turned on his heel “I'll get your coffee for you right away, officer.” The officer watched him walk away. “You certainly put him in his place”, he said.

“That was not my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this”.

She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest.  She stared at him intently. “Jack, do you remember me?”

Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes “I think so—I mean you do look familiar”.

“I'm a little older perhaps”, she said. “Maybe I’ve even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry”.

“Ma’am?” the officer said questioningly. He couldn’t believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry. “I was just out of college”, the woman began. “I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn’t find anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat.”

Jack lit up with a smile.  “Now I remember,” he said.  “I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company policy”.

“I know”, the woman continued. “Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble. Then, when I looked over, I saw you put the price of my food in the cash register I knew then that everything would be all right”.

“So you started your own business?” Old Jack asked.

“I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business, that, with the help of God, prospered”. She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. “When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons. He's the personnel director of my company. I'll go talk to him now and I’m certain he'll find something for you to do around the office”.  She smiled. “I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet. If you ever need anything, my door is always opened to you”.

There were tears in the old man's eyes. “How can I ever thank you?” he said.

“Don’t thank me”, the woman answered. “To God goes the glory. Thank Jesus. He led me to you.”

Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways. “Thank you for all your help, officer”, she said.

“On the contrary, Ms. Eddy. Thank you. I saw a miracle today, something that I will never forget. And . . . thank you for the coffee.”

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That is servant leadership. Servanthood that arises by the work of the Holy Spirit as we rejoice in our Saviour’s service to us.

Servant leadership is one of the three core values of the Relationship Model™ that we are exploring as a congregation. To lead is not to boss people around or treat them like they are beneath us. Rather it is to function like the trunk of a tree. The trunk provides support. The trunk is the channel through which the leaves receive nourishment so they can produce good fruit.

In the same way, Christian servant leaders hold up those who serve with them. Not to get the glory for themselves, but to glorify our Lord Jesus, and through Him to glorify our heavenly Father who sent Him.  To our Triune God be all the glory!