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Pastoring, Position of Honor and Service

Do not be called a leader, because Christ exists your only leader, the one now also greatest among you will exist your servant.*

Have you ever wondered about this verse? Often it is translated "do not be called a teacher," or instructor but teacher is a different Greek word. Also the primary gift of Jesus was teaching and he calls people in the Church to teach, giving them the gift of teaching. This word for leader is from two words, from katá "according to, by way of, down from a higher to a lower plane" and hēgéomai, " to lead the way, going before as a chief," properly, a leader. Based upon this definition and other supporting scriptures this verse is better translated as "do not be called a leader," thus contradicting many who would be against such a definition. Jesus is the Way, he is our leader, and a Pastor fits with what Jesus would call greatest in the Kingdom of God, one who is not a leader, not chief, not someone who lords over the people but one taking the example of Christ being a servant of all.

And calling them, Jesus said to them, you know that those thinking themselves first, rulers of the people, lord over them and their great ones lord over them.*

The Greek word for lord means to bring under, master, overcome; to lord over, gain dominion over, subdue. Jesus is our Lord and Master, no man takes the place of Christ as our leader. The leadership of the world lords over, it domineers, brings under authority. Contrast this leadership with a shepherd that Jesus speaks of and Peter mentions, one who watches over the flock, a servant of all. * One is for personal gain, the other is for Christ. This verse is usually translated as the "rulers of the Gentiles lord over them" which refers to leadership of the "world" but we see in context Jesus is speaking about his death in which he would be delivered over by the hands of the Jewish leaders. Surely, he spoke to the Pharisees who lorded over the people. These leaders falsely accused Jesus, breaking all kinds of laws to do so. The Germanic word for lord interestingly means "bread keeper." Figuratively in this we see the idea of lords and peasants, rulers who use their position as a "bread keeper" to subject and control the people. A leader of the world and a hireling shepherd is quite opposite of a pastor who feeds the sheep for the purpose of the benefit of the sheep, laying down his life to care for the sheep, for their gain, not his own in order to win Christ.

also himself giving the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry.*

The work of ministry is to build up the Church, this is done through teaching. Contrast this to leaders who rule for their own personal gain, who focus on numerical growth and teach three things as high forms of worship to God; attendance, giving, and serving. Certainly Christ is our teacher and the Holy Spirit guides us into truth, so we have no need of a kind of public assembly teaching.* However, there are gifts of teaching given to the Church, so the word leader best fits this concept. Jesus, is Lord, Master, King, and Leader. A leader, like that of the world, and a pastor or a shepherd are two different concepts so let us understand what it means to be a pastor, a servant of all. The concept of a pastor is that he is like a shepherd who follows the Good Shepherd, and lays down his life for the sheep. A pastor fixes his eyes on Jesus, teaching the sheep, which is quite opposite of the world and even leadership seen in the old testament which "casts a vision" leading from an exalted position. 

And sitting down, calling the twelve and saying to them, if anyone wills existing first; existing last of all, and servant of all.*

There is a difference between the old testament leadership and what Jesus speaks of. Jesus taught the people, even the popular phrased "sermon on the mount" was not a sermon at all, but Jesus sat down and taught the people.* And at times he feed them earthly food afterwards. A crowd gathered at the synagogue and he did not preach but he taught them.* When large crowds gathered by the sea where Jesus was he got in a boat and taught from a boat.* A sermon is defined as a lecture, teaching, with synonyms of homily, address, speech, talk, discourse, oration; lesson. To say you are a leader in the Church, but not a pastor, not a teacher is to be confused as to what it means to be great in the kingdom of God.

if anyone wills existing first; existing last of all, and servant of all.*

Think about it, what it means to be a servant of all, you are not a lord, not a chief, not a leader, not a ruler, you don't run things, you are a servant. We can view this verse in several ways. If someone wills to be first, he has already failed, he is not a servant when it comes to being great in the kingdom of God. Jesus sat down and called the twelve because they wanted to be greatest. Another way to look at this verse is if you have exalted yourself to this first position then you are farthest from the kingdom of God, not first. Either way we look at it, truly, the scriptures say God exalts the humble, and if God exalts him then he exists great and last and a servant of all. Let us look at what it means to be a Pastor, a servant of all.

But when they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” their demand was displeasing in the sight of Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king..." *

The people of Israel had rejected God as King, as their leader, so they wanted a king like the other nations, and so God gave them what they wanted and made Saul king. It was David who preceded Saul, and David's son who followed was Solomon the wisest king whoever lived. Solomon would turn his heart from God because of his wealth and position. But God promised David, so he did not take the kingdom from him, but the time of kings did not last long. It was Solomon who wrote, "where there is no vision, the people perish: but he who keeps the law is happy."* So what does that say about this kingdom of leadership? Surely they lost vision. Many quote this verse regarding leadership today, leaders are those who cast vision for the people, like King Solomon. Of course they do not quote the last part and neglect the words of Jesus regarding being a servant of the people. Is the Church to be led by leaders today? I think that Jesus refutes such by saying, the greatest is a servant of all.

Saying to him a third time, Simon Peter of John, do you love me ? Peter was distressed that Jesus asked him a third time do you love me and he said to him Lord you know all, you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, take care of my sheep.*

What does a pastor do? he feeds and cares for the sheep. Jesus said to Peter three different things each time; feed my lambs, pastor my sheep, and feed my sheep. Pastor means to feed, pasture, tend a flock. Feeding both lambs and sheep, which speaks of growth, a progression of maturity. To pastor is to shepherd, care for, to lay down a life to care for God's sheep. The sheep feed on the words of Jesus for Life, thus a pastor feeds or teaches them the words of Jesus. Some say the great commission, which is what we are instructed or called to do, is to spread the gospel, but Jesus said to go, teaching them to keep watch on all I have commanded you.* Jesus was about teaching, and he said to Peter after asking him to care for his sheep, to follow me.* But was not Peter already following Jesus? Surely this is a greater call of following Jesus, not come follow me as one who is chief, who God has given a vision, but as one who lays down his life to teach, so the lambs become sheep who know and follow the voice of the Good Shepherd. Surely, pastoring is a great calling to follow the example of Jesus.

... he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, and also death on a cross.*

He was a Son but he came and dwelt among men, humbling himself even further by dying not just any death, but a cursed, humiliating death on a cross. During the same conversation of feed my sheep Jesus spoke of how Peter would also be led to death. Yes, Peter followed Christ even unto physical death, and it is a principle of pastoring, as Christ humbled himself, laying down his life for the Church becoming a servant of all even to the point of death, so must a pastor lay down his life for the sheep. Peter understood what Jesus was asking him to do, he committed to that, and in his writings we have a better understanding of what it means to be a pastor. To pastor, watching over them, willingly, not pursuing personal gain, but eager to serve; not lording over but humble being examples to the flock.

Pastor the flock of God among you, watching over it, not unwillingly but voluntarily, not for personal gain, but prepared...*

The word for pastor means one who feeds the flock, tends the flock; a shepherd. The picture is certainly not like leadership of the world. Feeding the sheep is more than just taking care of physical needs, it primarily is to feed them food that endures unto Life. Therefore by its nature a pastor is a teacher though a teacher doesn't necessarily have to be a pastor. A pastor, a servant, is someone who doesn't unwillingly serve nor does he seek personal gain, thus he is a volunteer. He is one who is prepared beforehand for this work. Why is pastoring voluntarily? though there is gain, the reward is not of this earth, "And when the good shepherd appears, receive the crown of Life, the one enduring."* Pastoring and teaching is a calling.

Do not lord over the lot except become examples to the flock.*

A pastor influences by being an example of Christ, he takes care, feeds the sheep, but a lord gains domination over, subdues the sheep. The first lays down his life for the sheep, the latter lords over them. Think about it, a pastor is a servant of all, a servant is a minister, a person who renders service and help to others. A pastor serves by example, not only is he an example to the flock by the above mentioned excellence, he is an example of participating in the suffering of Christ. I think this latter part is why we see doctrines of authority that want to subject and domineer over the flock because these men are not servants of all and do not want to participate in the sufferings of Christ. Truly a pastor serves his Master, Jesus, a servant of all. For what purpose is being a servant of all?

Now, it is binding, not lords contending but existing gentle to all, apt to teach, enduring under evils and injuries.*

Not lords, but gentle, apt to teach, enduring evils and injuries. This is why we have more leaders and less pastors. If the position of pasturing is glamorized as a place to receive personal gain, fame and fortune, a place to receive glory from men then we have improperly portrayed its position, and it has become as leadership of the world. Pastoring is a place to greater follow Jesus to be a servant of all. Pastoring is a place to lay down your life for the sheep, to endure under evil and insults, for the purpose of teaching, feeding the children of God so that the lost are found and all the lambs grow up unto salvation, to be sheep that hear and follow the Good Shepherd's voice. It is a place of great service and of great honor, a pastor.

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