Month 3 - Servanthood | Week 2 - Upside-Down Greatness

Scriptural anchors for us through M3 - Week 2:

“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 20:26–28 (ESV)

Kingdoms Turned Upside-Down

A request was made quietly, and it carries the echo of human ambition through the ages. James and John’s mother knelt before Jesus with her plea, and said -

“Grant that these two sons of mine may sit at Your right and left in Your kingdom.” - Matthew 20:21 (ESV)

It’s the kind of thing a mother says, out of love, but it reveals something deeper: a world still obsessed with hierarchy, title, and recognition, as if that was still how you got things done.

Well, the other disciples were furious.

I don’t think they were necessarily mad at the arrogance of it - perhaps really they were mad that they just didn’t ask first.

And into that competitive ego battle, Jesus redefined greatness.He didn’t scold their ambition; He redirected it.He didn’t crush the desire for influence; He purified it.

“It shall not be so among you.”- Matthew 20:26 (ESV)

With those seven words, the values of heaven collided with the values of earth. In the kingdoms of men, power flows downward - authority is claimed through domination, followers serve leaders, and the strong are served by the weak. But in the Kingdom of God, power flows upward. The greatest descends, the leader stoops, the strong bend their knees to lift the lowly.

This is the Kingdom’s economy of grace - where crowns are traded for towels, and thrones are built from acts of love.

The strong serve the weak.

“That word ‘serve’ in Greek is diakonos - from which we get deacon. It means ‘one who waits on tables.’

Jesus isn’t painting a poetic hypothetical picture here - He’s making it practical.Greatness in His Kingdom means meeting real needs, with real humility.

And He grounds it in Himself:

‘Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.’ Mark 10:45 & Matthew 20:28

Think about that for minute. Stop being distracted for second whilst you listen, pay attention here. The One through whom all things were made - galaxies, oceans, angelic beings - came not demanding worship but from the lowest place, and washing feet, to save us and to give us an example to follow.

To flip the world from the weak serving the strong, to the strong serving the weak.

John 13 captures it . On the very night He would be betrayed, Jesus kneels. The Creator of all things, with armies of unnumbered angelic ranks waiting for him to give the order to defend him, is there, washing the dust from His creation’s feet.

He takes off His robe, picks up the towel, and does the task no one else would touch. Let’s not pretend that this is a group of highly pedicured individuals here, if youv’e got some guy friends, you can picture this, this is not a glamorous view or smell.

And then to drill this in, He says,

‘Do you understand what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, You also ought to wash one another’s feet.’ - John 13:12-15

That’s not a metaphor - it’s a model.

The Servant’s Echo

Early church fathers understood this radical paradox well.Ignatius of Antioch, on his way to martyrdom in Rome, wrote:

“He who is greater among you, let him be as the younger; he who governs, as one who serves. For it is not by commanding but by serving that one becomes truly great.”

John Chrysostom, the “golden-mouthed” preacher of Constantinople, went further:

“To serve others is to be like God, for He serves all - even those who deny Him. When you wash the feet of another, you do what Christ has done, and there is no greater throne than that.”

And St. Francis of Assisi, a millennium later, echoed the same heart:

“A man has only as much knowledge as he puts into practice, and only as much greatness as he serves in secret.”

The Church - in every age and across denominational lines - has echoed this truth:Greatness in Christ’s Kingdom is not measured by how high you climb, but by how low you are willing to go in love.

The Practical Path of Downward Greatness

How, then, do we live this out - not as sentiment, but as daily reality?

Most of us won’t physically be washing feet this week, but we will have moments where we can humble ourselves - at home, at work, in conversations, in conflict, in situations where our default maybe used to be dominant or aggressive or unthoughtful, lets move into thoughtful.

1. Choose the Towel Over the Title

If you ask God, and look for it, every day will offer a moment to serve when no one’s watching - a coffee cup left in the sink, a child’s outburst met with gentleness, a co-worker’s task quietly carried.

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” - Philippians 2:3 (ESV)

Ask: Where can I serve today without needing credit?

2. Lead from the Knees

Leadership in the Kingdom begins on the floor. Meet Jesus, wrapped with a towel around His waist on the floor, ready to clean his followers’ feet with him.Whether you lead a business, a team, a family, or a small group, or if you are just leading yourself, authority is stewardship, not status.

“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” - John 13:14 (ESV)

Ask: Who am I called to wash the feet of this week - figuratively or literally?

3. Surrender the Scoreboard

We live in a culture obsessed with outcomes, metrics, likes, follows, views, and applause. But Christ measures greatness differently - in faithfulness, not fame.

“Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” - Matthew 6:4 (ESV)

Ask: What part of my life still measures worth by the world’s applause?

The Hidden Power of the Servant Life

Every movement of true revival or new sparks and movements in history has begun not with celebrity but with servanthood, and was often later tarnished by those seeking the lesser.

The Moravians who sparked global missions sold themselves into slavery to reach the lost.

The Celtic monks of Iona called themselves peregrini - wanderers for Christ - carrying the gospel in humility across pagan lands.

Even in modern times, revival burns hottest where leaders embrace the towel, not the throne.

As A.W. Tozer wrote,

“A true and safe leader is likely to be one who has no desire to lead, but is forced into leadership by the inward pressure of the Holy Spirit.”

This week, may we resist the world’s pull toward prominence - and lean into the hidden way of the cross. For the King we follow did not ascend to glory until He first stooped to wash feet, bear wounds, and shoulder a cross.

Practice This Week: The Servant’s Challenge

Secret Service:

Each day, do one act of unseen service. Don’t tell anyone. Let it stay between you and God.

Encouragement Fast:

This week, instead of seeking affirmation, give it. Send messages, prayers, or small notes that lift others up.

Foot-Washing Reflection:

Take time one evening to pray with John 13 open. Physically kneel. Ask God to show you who you’ve avoided serving. Then ask Him for the courage to move toward them.

Watch / Listen / Read

We are looking back at examples we can follow this week, that we may not have dug into before. We often hear the incredible demonstrations of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:1 and his direction follow his example as he follows Christ’s example, however, its a great opportunity to compound on that message and to learn from others that have come before attempting to do so, across denominational lines. In this watch section, we explore the lives of the three characters we covered in the The Servant’s Echo section.

Watch

Ignatius of Antioch: The Martyr Who Defined Early Christianity

Ignatius of Antioch embodied the heart of upside-down greatness. As one of the earliest church fathers, he wrote letters on his way to martyrdom that still echo through the centuries, not pleading for rescue, but urging believers to follow Christ in humility, obedience, and love for others. His life is a living picture of this week’s theme: true leadership through servanthood, true victory through surrender.

John Chrysostom: Golden Mouth

John Chrysostom - “the Golden Mouth” - preached a Gospel that inverted the world’s understanding of greatness. From the pulpit of Constantinople, he challenged emperors and elites alike with the call to humility, generosity, and justice. He lived what he preached, enduring exile rather than compromise.

This video is a powerful reflection of our M3 W2 theme: Upside-Down Greatness. Chrysostom shows us that to follow Christ is to use influence not for self-promotion, but for service. His words remind us that true authority is moral, not political; spiritual, not self-seeking. Watch to see how his courage, compassion, and unwavering commitment to truth model the heart of the Servant-King we follow.

The INSPIRING Life of Saint Francis of Assisi

Few lives capture the beauty of upside-down greatness like that of Saint Francis. Born into wealth, he chose poverty. Surrounded by privilege, he chose simplicity. Honored by men, he chose obscurity - and in doing so, revealed the radiant humility of Christ.

This film shows how Francis turned the values of his age on their head: trading luxury for love, prestige for peace, and comfort for compassion. His life reminds us that the way up in the Kingdom is always down - to serve, to give, to love without return.

Read

Moravians - They Sold Themselves Into Slavery - LINK

This captures upside-down greatness in action - the Moravian missionaries who sold themselves into slavery to reach the enslaved with the gospel. Their radical humility and love echo the heart of Christ, showing that true servanthood costs everything, yet changes eternity.

The Celtic monks of Iona - LINK

The monks of Iona lived the hidden strength of upside-down greatness — choosing exile, simplicity, and service to bring light to dark lands. Their quiet faith shaped nations, reminding us that the Gospel advances not through power, but through humble, steadfast devotion.

📅 This Week’s 30-Min Rally Point

We’ll meet for our first 30-minute rally point this Thursday at 7:00 PM EST via Zoom.This is a space for reflection, encouragement, and activation, a rhythm of checking in, praying together, and pressing forward.

🕖 Zoom Time: Thursday @ 7:00 PM EST🔗 Click to join the Zoom call - Zoom URL

Format:

Welcome & Opening Prayer (2 min)

Scripture Reading (3 min)

Teaching Recap (5 min)

Discussion Questions (12 min)

Heart-Level Questions:

Head-Level Questions:

Hands-Level Questions:

Practice Together (5 min)

Closing Encouragement & Prayer (3 min)

Bring a Bible, a journal, and any wins or wrestles you want to share. This is a safe space to grow.

Next Week's Topic: M3 - Servanthood | W3 - Serving in Secret

“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” - Matthew 6:3–4 (ESV)

Next week, we’ll go deeper into the quiet work of the Kingdom - where true greatness grows unseen. In a world obsessed with recognition, Jesus calls us to a hidden life of love.

To serve without spotlight.

To give without applause.

To live for the eyes of the Father alone.

We’ll explore how God shapes character in the shadows, how secrecy becomes sacred when it’s born of devotion, and how unseen obedience can shake eternity.

God is with us!

Lord Jesus, teach us to love what is hidden. Form in us a heart that seeks no credit, only communion. Let our unseen acts of service become worship rising to You.

I’m glad you’re here.

Let’s run the race - Eyes Up, Chin Up!

Grace and peace,

Sam Johnston

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