Scripture Reading: Mark 10:42-45 – “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Power is one of God’s greatest trusts, but also one of humanity’s greatest temptations.
Power can build or break, heal or harm, liberate or oppress. The question is not whether we have power—for each of us does, whether through words, position, wealth, or influence—but how we use it. Jesus turns the world’s understanding of power upside down. In His kingdom, greatness is not measured by domination but by service.
Authority is not to control others but to lift them up. At the Last Supper, Jesus took a towel and washed His disciples’ feet. He showed us that power reaches its perfection only when clothed in compassion. History teaches us that when power is divorced from compassion, it breeds violence, caste oppression, and exploitation. But when power is guided by compassion, it brings healing, justice, and dignity. For Dalit and Tribal communities, the compassionate use of power by Christian missions—through schools, hospitals, and equal fellowship—became a channel of liberation.
Conversion was not an inducement, but the recognition that true power belongs to Christ, who serves. We, too, are entrusted with power. Parents hold power over children, leaders over communities, teachers over students, and employers over workers. The gospel calls us to exercise such power with tenderness, fairness, and love. Paul reminds us in Philippians 2:4: “Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.”
