Leadership within the Church of God is about service: it is not about power. The laity has the power. The leadership serve the Laity. This is a paradigm shift. He motther of James and John bought her sons and asked that they would be great in the kingdom. Her definition of great was that of a wordly leader, who men willingly follow: a hero.

The reactions of the other disciples is illuminating. They, correctly, saw this as a power play. They saw the start of a hierarchy. I see it an example of a woman trying to get power for the men she cares for, her sons, knowing that this will increase the desire of others to follow them.

Christ tells them that they will not necessarily be leaders and rule in the kingdom: he cannot promise that. But they will serve Christ and the Church. Which they did, until their deaths, like his, as a witness to Christ.

Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time

And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

A Mother’s Request

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

(Matthew 20:17-28 ESV)

One can analyze this world, particularly when it comes to mating, as leaders win. The alpha or head of the pack gets all the attention, and the loyal workers are ignored. When there is no rules and teaching about relationships, women tend to try to trade up to the most powerful man (Hypergamey) while men tend to go for the cutest woman (Neotony). The covenantal part of marriage is lost. similarly, the talented win the jobs and prizes while the less hard working and talented are told to reach for the heights but in effect have to live fairly minimally, or in debt.

But in the church the leaders serve. They are not pagan Lords. Women are told to love their husband: who is much more likely to be in a pew than preaching. The leaders of the church are the servants of the church: the chief elder would be better called the chief slave. This inverts the hierarchy we have in that primitive (Lizard) brain that controls our desires. Instead of looking elsewhere, we should be grateful for what we have.

So one of the things we have to deconstruct is the power structure of the world and not follow it. Within the church. Because if we do, we will end up pretty much like the rest of the world, moving into a single middle age, making our own little hells as we go. Now, that may mean that we are not cute party animals (female) or the head wolf of the pack (male) when we are young because we should be courting and marrying fairly young. (in our 20s) and using those young, fit years to chase kids.

Not waiting until we are in our late 30s and trying to breed as our fertility tanks. Not trying to marry after making ourselves unmarriageable.

And not trying to lead within the church when we do not qualify, nor do we have a spirit which allows us to serve others.