When looking for qualified leaders in the church, I always watch to see whether they are willing to "scoop the poop". In our house, one of the most exciting chores is mowing the lawn. I have a riding lawn mower which for my two boys might as well be a Lamborghini. Every time they hear that engine roar, they come running to the garage to see if they can get a turn on 18 horses of pure adrenaline.
What they don't come running for is what precedes the YTD joy ride. In order to prepare the yard for mowing, one must first scoop the poop. We have an 80 pound golden retriever named Buddy that lives in our backyard and whatever he eats seems to always come out the other end. These deposits are made daily and rarely if ever removed until it's mowing time. When it comes time to do the deed, I often find myself combing the house looking for potential helpers.
When looking for church leadership, this scenario can play itself out in a very similar way. People are sometimes eager to serve in ways that bless them or give them recognition, but are not willing to be inconvenienced much less seek out menial jobs. Jesus did much to combat this consumerist way of thinking right up until and including his death.
In John 13, we see Jesus noticing that none of his disciples were interested in poop scooping. Everyone is sitting around the Passover table discussing who is going to get the top cabinet posts in the new kingdom. They were also probably wondering why one of the underlings wasn't hopping to it and getting their feet cleaned up before dinner. Then the embarrassingly unthinkable happens. Jesus scoops the poop.
Jesus, the one with the most credentials and the highest position in the company gets down on his hands and knees in order to wash off the dirt, poop, who knows what else from the disciple's feet. He then gives them a follow-up lecture on leadership which I'm sure He had given before but this time seemed more poignant.
"'Do you understand what I have done for you?' he asked them. 13'You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.'" John 13:12b-17
He revealed to them that night (and the next day) what is at the heart of a leader - service. A Christian leader must have (and be constantly seeking) to serve others. We have hopefully found ourselves in the place of leadership in the church because the church has seen us giving ourselves away for others in response to the Gospel which is another scoop the poop story. Jesus describes His sacrificial death in this way
" just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28
In other words, on a cosmic scale, he scooped the poop. The one who is highest doing that which is considered lowest. It is a special connection with Christ, when leaders embrace this calling in our lives to put the needs of others in front of our own as He did for us and for all of humanity.
