To Serve or Be Served

 "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.  Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—  just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve," Matthew 20: 25-28

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While I was supervising kids in the playground during their lunch break, this boy ran up to me. 

"Miss, I'm the boss, but he won't  let me play with them," he pointed to the boy with him and his other classmates.

"What do you mean by boss?" I said

"I started this game, which makes me the boss," he said.

"No one is the boss of anyone here. You are all here to share and play together " I said.

"But, Miss?"

"Off you go and play. And be kind to each other."

Later in the Year 4 class I was working in (with kids aged 8 to 9l, one of the brightest boys in the class came up to me. He told me he's finished his work and asked if he could help the autistic kid I was working with. I told him my boy was fine and thanked him for being really kind and considerate.

Later, I thought about the boy in the playground and the boy in the classroom. Both boys are bright. One believes his innovative ideas entitles him to Lord it over his classmates, who were having none of it. The other boy uses his intelligence to be of service to his classmates who are struggling.

The boy in the class reminds me of what Jesus taught his followers  - that they are not here to Lord it over others, but to serve. ❤️