I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Matthew 18-20.

    In this passage are two stories about Jesus explaining to His disciples what it takes, what it means, to be great in the Kingdom of Heaven. In the first story, when the disciples ask Jesus who will be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus points them to a little child. But He does not tell them they need to be like a child to be great. He tells them they need to be humble like a child to even get into the Kingdom of Heaven. He then goes on to talk about sinning and temptation so that we generally miss the point. If you are considering yourself a candidate for being the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven you are in danger of not even getting in! Then later, the mother of James and John asks Jesus to do her the favor of making her sons the two most important people in the Kingdom of Heaven after Himself. Jesus immediately turned to them and asked them if they were prepared to undergo the suffering which such a role entailed. When they responded in the affirmative, He told them that they would indeed undergo such suffering, but that He did not have the authority to choose who got those positions. Then HE called the twelve apostles together to explain what it means to be a leader. In this world, those with authority use it to force those under that authority to satisfy their needs and desires (you can see how this works by reading the headlines over the last week). However, Jesus explains that those who wish to be leaders in the Kingdom of Heaven need to use their authority to satisfy the needs and wants of those are under their authority, even at the expense of their own needs and wants.
    The best way I can explain this is by using the example of two managers in the company I work for. The first followed the world’s model. He had lots of great ideas about how to improve the business unit of which he was in charge. Whenever, he had one of these ideas, he would instruct someone to put it into practice. The other manager spent a lot of time getting his subordinates to come up with ideas to improve their area of the business unit of which he was in charge. Then when they did so, he used his authority and clout to empower them to accomplish their ideas. He worked to identify what his subordinates needed to do their jobs and then worked to get them those things. The latter is what we should do if we wish to be leaders. Identify what those we seek to lead need to do God’s will, then work to provide them with those things.