A number of companies are in the news for abusing their power. Turing Pharmaceutical recently bought the rights to a 60-year-old drug called Daraprim. Before the purchase, the drug cost $13.50 per pill; today it’s $750. The drug treats, among other things, cancer and HIV.
Meanwhile, investigations into Volkswagen have revealed an elaborate attempt to falsify EPA tests for its supposedly climate-friendly cars. Software was installed to adjust the cars’ emissions during testing and then readjust for daily driving.
Yet another example comes out of Georgia, where the former owner of the Peanut Corporation of America knowingly shipped and sold peanut butter contaminated with salmonella. The peanut butter was linked to 9 deaths and hundreds of illnesses. The owner is now serving 28 years in prison.
Leaders are entrusted with power and influence, and sometimes they misuse or abuse that power, causing immense suffering for others. Jesus saw these same temptations at work among his disciples, and used those circumstances as an opportunity to give his disciples a vision for what their own leadership could look like.
Matthew 20:20-28
It was about that time that the mother of the Zebedee brothers came with her two sons and knelt before Jesus with a request.
“What do you want?” Jesus asked.
She said, “Give your word that these two sons of mine will be awarded the highest places of honor in your kingdom, one at your right hand, one at your left hand.”
Jesus responded, “You have no idea what you’re asking.” And he said to James and John, “Are you capable of drinking the cup that I’m about to drink?”
They said, “Sure, why not?”
Jesus said, “Come to think of it, you are going to drink my cup. But as to awarding places of honor, that’s not my business. My Father is taking care of that.”
When the ten others heard about this, they lost their tempers, thoroughly disgusted with the two brothers. So Jesus got them together to settle things down. He said, “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage.”