Perspective



Perspective is defined as one's "point of view", the choice of a context for opinions, beliefs and experiences (Wikipedia.com)

As I mentioned a few posts ago, I read the Gospel of Mark at least once a year. I thought it was time again, to read through this handbook for Leadership. God showed something to me that I haven’t thought about. In the first chapter of Mark, John the Baptist is talking about the coming One (Jesus Christ). He mentions in verse 7, “And he was preaching, and saying, “’After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals.”’

The phrase that made me stop was “. . . and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals.” Wow; this is the great John the Baptist. John was spoken about in the Old Testament; hundreds of years before his birth. He had followers who hung on every word he said. He had Roman soldiers turning away from their pagan ways to embrace God as the only God. He knew where he stood compared to Jesus Christ. You see John the Baptist had perspective.

You see the job of a servant was to remove their master’s sandals; however, John was saying that he was lower than the sandal removing servant because he wasn’t even high enough in the servant’s hierarchy. You see there was a hierarchy when it came to the servants of a master. The lowest of the servants had the job of washing the feet of visitors and the highest level was the head servant; what we call today the butler. It seems to me that since John was foretold to be the forbearer of the Christ, he would be closest to the butler but in his own eyes he saw himself as the lowest level of servants.

I need to remember this as God opens the door for me to pastor a church. Later on in Mark, we are shown what it means to be a leader as we read how Jesus acted. I had forgotten that the first lesson on true leadership was shown by John the Baptist. We need the proper perspective on where we stand in relation to Jesus Christ. I need perspective on how I should lead God’s people. I’m so thankful God revealed this nugget of truth to me today.