I once saw a cartoon decicting a group of shackled prinoners standing on a dock waiting for a Roman galley that was pulling into port. "That's a great ship," one mused, "I wonder what makes it go?"

The cartoon reminded me of the words of the apostle Paul: "Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ" (I Corinthians 4:1) Paul used an unusual Greek word for servants. Literally it menas "under-rowers", and in that day it referred to the slaves that pulled the oars in Roman warships.

What a striking word picture! Paul could have asserted his authority, but instead considered himself a mere galley slave in the hold of the ship with the rest of God's people, pulling on an oar with everyone else.

This is very different from our usual concept of leadership. Jesus was a servant, leader and was the first to wash his disciples feet: Why? because they were dirty and the host had failed to provide for this act of hostipitality.

Our task, no matter what our position or work is to keep our eyes on Jesus and to keep on rowing!

Labels: Bible Study, Tasty Tuesday