Quiet Fire Devotional Series | The Paradoxes of God

Herbert Berkley
Aug 28
3 min read

Paradox 3 — To Reign, You Must Serve

“The greatest among you shall be your servant.” — Matthew 23:11, ESV

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” — Mark 10:45, ESV

“The crown in Christ’s Kingdom is often hidden beneath a towel.” — from a devotional reflection

Greatness is one of the most dangerous words on the wide road. There it means climbing ladders, seizing influence, defending reputation, and holding tightly to power. But when the Shepherd speaks of greatness, He pulls the ladder down and places a basin and towel in your hands.

The paradox marker here is simple but unsettling: To reign, you must serve.

The Fields Where Service Grows

The narrow road eventually passes through wide fields — places of work and labor, where your faith is expressed not only in private prayers but in public deeds. Here the Shepherd teaches that leadership is measured not by how many serve you but by how many you serve.

It’s not glamorous. Service is often hidden, repetitive, unnoticed. Yet it is here that the Kingdom crowns are forged — not in thrones of gold, but in quiet faithfulness.

The Two Ditches Beside the Fields

On the left is self-serving service — doing good so that others will applaud, using sacrifice as a performance.
On the right is resentful service — doing what is right outwardly but nursing bitterness inside, using sacrifice as a silent complaint.

The narrow road runs between: joyful, humble service that flows out of love for Christ, not the approval of others.

The Shepherd’s Provision in Service

Manna from heaven — the daily opportunities He places in your path: the small acts that matter more than you think.
The cold spring — encouragement that comes when someone is unexpectedly blessed by your hidden labor.
The shade tree — His protection from burnout, inviting you to rest even in the middle of the work.
The water from the rock — the joy that comes when you realize service is not loss but gain, because it shapes you into Christ’s likeness.

The Basin and the Towel

On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus rose from supper, took a towel, poured water into a basin, and washed His disciples’ feet (John 13:3–5). John makes a point of saying Jesus knew “that the Father had given all things into his hands” (v. 3), yet He stooped to do a servant’s work.

This was not a contradiction of His reign; it was the revelation of it. The King rules by stooping. His throne is steady because His knees were dirty with the dust of our feet.

Service as Sowing

Service in the fields is like planting seed. You may never see the harvest. Some seeds sprout quickly, others take years, some bloom only in eternity. Your task is not to control the yield but to sow faithfully in the name of the Shepherd.

Paul reminds us, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9, ESV). Service is not wasted. It is the economy of the Kingdom.

The Logos-Pattern in Service

Word — “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant.”
Distinction — Greatness redefined away from the world’s applause.
Order — Work aligned with love rather than competition.
Relation — Bonds deepened in shared service.
Fruitfulness — Lives touched in ways you may never know.
Rest — Peace in knowing the Shepherd sees every act, even the hidden ones.

The Crown Hidden in the Soil

True reigning does not look like standing above others; it looks like kneeling to lift them. In God’s Kingdom, the towel is heavier with glory than the crown the world offers.

Those who embrace this paradox reign not because they seize control but because they reflect the King who reigns by serving.