The First Deacons
Acts 6:1–7
Pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom. Acts 6:3
By electing deacons as the first administrative officers in the church other than the apostles, the church was electing people to do what above all else is most essential to true Christianity. This is because their service was patterned on the servant ministry of Jesus Christ. Deacon means “servant.” And Jesus was the servant of everybody.
When we think about success, we have to remember that the Bible’s evaluation of success is completely different from the world’s evaluation. If you ask people of the world, Who are the really important people? Where are those who are really great? the world answers that it is those at the top of the administrative pyramid. It is those who have a lot of people under them. If we are talking about a person’s private circumstances, it is those who do not need to work. People work for them.
That is not the way Jesus spoke of greatness. Jesus said: “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves” (Luke 22:25–27).
Jesus also said, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35).
If you want to be great in God’s sight, try serving people. Be a true deacon. If you want to be even greater in God’s sight, serve even more people. The more people you can serve, the greater you will be. And that includes doing things for them that the world would call menial.
Remember Jesus. When he was about to be crucified and wanted to give his disciples a graphic demonstration of what true greatness was, he removed his clothes, wrapped himself with a towel, knelt before them, and washed each of the disciples’ feet. The Lord of the universe—the Lord of glory, the King of Kings— knelt before Galilean fishermen and performed a servant’s task. Peter understood how incongruous this was, at least from his point of view. He told his Master, “You shall never wash my feet” (John 13:8). But notice that he did not say, “No, Lord, let me wash their feet.” He just didn’t want the Lord to wash him. The Lord taught him how to be a servant.
Taken from Come to the Waters by James Boice ISBN 9798887790954 used with permission from P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg NJ 08865
Scripture quotations are from the ESV (the Holy Bible English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.