The First Shall Be Last

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them. It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave..."1

Worldly leadership is a top-down leadership, notice the picture at the left. A business for example is for profit, with those at the top benefiting the most. Often it is called "climbing to the top" of business, a survival of the fittest. This type of leadership Jesus says, "their superiors exercise authority over them" or "lord" over them. This word for "lord over" is from kata and kurieuo; to lord against, i.e. Control, subjugate -- exercise dominion over (lordship), be lord over, overcome. In the Church today we see doctrines and teachings that reinforce this type of lordship. There is but One Lord, so beware of men who would sit in the seat of Christ, demanding, domineering, lording over others.

"It shall not be this way among you..."

Godly leadership is a bottom up leadership, the first become last, servants of all. Notice the "great among you must be your servant" and "whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave." Truly the first is the servant of all, a slave being the last or least. This example Christ gave, "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.”2 He served by giving His life for the sheep. God sent His Son because He so loved the world. When the disciples were arguing about who who would be in charge, Jesus sat them down and said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”4 And to help them understand what this means, He had a little child stand among them. Taking the child in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,"5 The child represents the last, or those who are to be first, the least of these His brethren in the Kingdom of God.

“Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”15

This word for receive means receive with "ready reception what is offered." The last are the least of these His brethren, the children, so receiving the kingdom of God is like receiving little children, the least of these, thus becoming last. The kingdom of God is received as one who becomes a servant of all, serving the least of these. Thus leaders are the greatest servants of all, the first being the slave of all. When the disciples later rebuked the children coming to Jesus, he said do not hinder little children from coming to Him, which is to cause him to stumble. Jesus gives warning to those who would do such a thing. So we see the idea of the first becoming last, the first are servants of all, starting with the last, the least of these are put first, lifted up to Jesus, built up in faith and love. And then the cycle repeats, they become first so to be last, to lift up those who have entered last who are now first. Those who "lord over" others as the world does, they do it for profit, for personal gain, these do not receive little children nor have they entered the kingdom as little children, thus they are as the world. The kingdom is entered, not as lords, but as little children, and those greatest shall be last, servants of all.

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