July 17 | Disciples Serve

Series | The Life of Discipleship

Scripture | Matthew 23:11, “The greatest among you will be your servant.”

Lesson 17 | Disciples Serve

Jesus in the context of the above passage corrected the Jewish leaders and Pharisees for their ungodly heart in leading the people of Israel, Matthew 23:1-39.  They had made themselves equal to the Bible by making their man made traditions a burden upon people’s souls, but yet they wouldn’t even lift a finger to help people carry their wrongly placed burdens. 

Many of the leaders in the Jewish religion in Jesus’ day no longer cared for the poor and the authentic commands of God.  They just did charity to have a good reputation and they made religious traditions to seem holy on the outside, but on the inside they were really white washed tombs, Matthew 23:27.

Jesus even went as far as to call these leaders, “hypocrites,” “children of hell,” blind guides,” “fools,” and “snakes & vipers.”  However, Jesus ended His rebuke with a metaphor about Israel being like small chicks and Jesus was the mother hen trying to gather them in- but despite God’s great love and mercy, the Jewish leadership kept rejecting Him, Matthew 23:37.

As a result, Jesus’ words to His disciples and future leaders of the Church was simple- don’t be like the Jewish leaders who are hypocrites and love authority, be servants.  Jesus said He didn’t come to “be served,” but rather to “serve,” Matthew 20:28.     

Today in the church, we as Christ’s disciples and followers should have the same heart He had to serve.  Let us not desire a title, but rather a towel.  For it was when Jesus took off His cloak and grabbed a towel that He washed His disciples feet and truly expressed a servant’s heart, John 13:5.

Reflection | Do you want to have a title or a towel?

Action | (1) Repent if you have fallen into the trap of loving authority. (2) Ask Jesus to make you a servant like Him. (3) Lastly, pray that the Holy Spirit empowers you to be the kind of leader that always serves God’s people.    

One Year Reading Plan (Optional) | 1 Chronicles 24:1-26:11, Romans 4:1-12, Psalm 13:1-6, & Proverbs 19:15-16. Click here to read online.