阅读经文 

耶稣以一些常用的术语来描述拥有权力的人可能是什么样子：他们会恐吓、欺凌、威胁，并且企图操控。相反，耶稣说，我们被呼召是以不同的方式生活。我们决不能跟随世界的方式——特权、种族、阶级、性别、文化、影响力、政治或宗教等等精英主义。耶稣说我们要做仆人，以祂为榜样。祂来不是为了受服侍，而是要服侍人，并且“舍命作多人的赎价”。

我们所有的关系——父母与子女、妻子与丈夫、牧师与会众、教师与学生——都需要从操控中扭转过来。相反，重点应该是服侍他人，帮助人兴旺发展，并使每个人都能够尊崇、敬拜和跟随基督。

在你的影响范围内，你是一个以基督为榜样的仆人吗？作为邻居、朋友、配偶、父母、家庭成员、教师或教会成员，你以何种方式服侍他人？

我们是天父的儿女，是耶稣的门徒；耶稣没有把荣耀看作是理所当然，强抓不放，（出自圣经标准译本，译者注）反而谦卑地死在十字架上。（参腓 2:5-11）因着祂的缘故，我们献上自己作为活祭，使神的名和国度得以彰显。

Jesus is speaking in broad terms as he describes what people in power can be like. They can intimidate, bully, threaten, and seek to control. In contrast, Jesus says, we are called to live differently. We must not follow the way of the world with its structures of privilege, race, class, gender, culture, influence, politics, or religious elitism. Jesus says we are to be servants, following his example. He came not to be served but to serve and “to give his life as a ransom for many.”

All our relationships—parent-child, wife-husband, pastor-congregation, teacher-student—need to be refreshed from tendencies to control and manipulate. Instead the focus should be on serving others, helping people to flourish, and empowering everyone to honor, worship, and follow Christ.

Are you a servant in the example of Christ in your circles of influence? In what ways are you serving others as a neighbor, friend, spouse, parent, family member, teacher, or church member?

We are children of the heavenly Father and disciples of Jesus, who did not consider glory a thing to be grasped, but who humbled himself to die on a cross (Philippians 2:5-11). Because of Jesus, we offer ourselves as living sacrifices so that the name and kingdom of God are made known.