The boss sweeps the floor

October 22, 2007

By Randy Mantik

When I was in college, a friend told me a story from his childhood. His grandfather owned a small store and every week his grandpa would let my friend come in and play storekeeper with him, doing things like stocking the shelves, taking out the garbage, and sweeping the floor.

One day my friend, tired of always doing the menial tasks, talked pretty frankly to Grandpa about a lack of advancement at such a ripe young age. “Grandpa,” he declared, “today I want to be the boss.” My friend thought the boss ended up with all the perks and got to sit around all day.

His grandfather simply handed him the broom and said, “OK, you can be the boss. The boss sweeps the floor!” That was a life lesson my friend never forgot.

That story reminds me of another person who thought her boys should “put down their brooms” and get promoted to what she felt were bigger and better things. She didn’t think they were speaking up too well for themselves, so she decided to use her “motherly influence” to see what she could do to get her boys ahead.

You can read the account of James and John’s mother in Matthew 20:20-28. It’s eye-opening. You’ve got to pity the boys, and the mother too. They had no idea what they were asking. They didn’t understand the kingdom of God is not about personal power, but personal sacrifice.

Jesus, as He goes on to deal with the situation with the mother and her sons, is very clear: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be your slave — just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25-28, NIV).

In other words, the boss sweeps the floor. Before Jesus went and sat down at the right hand of the Father, He lived a life of service that culminated in the giving of His life. Why would we ever think we can skip the “sweeping the floor part” and just decide to carefully adjust our halos, prop our feet up on the desk, and wait for other people to do all that mundane, “unimportant” stuff?

We need to follow Jesus, the ultimate servant and our ultimate example. There is no one else who stooped from so high, came so far, and loved so much. We just cannot comprehend the greatness of His sacrifice.

We will all do well to remember that in God’s kingdom there is no ladder to climb and nobody to impress. There is only Jesus and what He exemplifies to us. He is the greatest servant of all, taking in all of our requests, listening as we pour out our hearts before Him, loving us, and interceding for us.

Yes, thankfully, our precious “Boss” does sweep the floor, and He cleans out our spirits and refreshes our souls as He does. What indescribable grace and powerful humility!

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

Randy Mantik is senior pastor of Crossroads Church of the Assemblies of God in Pembine, Wis.