We live in a world obsessed with a quest for dominion. Brutal crimes are perpetrated, schemes of deception are levied against the helpless and the strong take from the weak. Innocent lives are wiped out en masse with little recourse to justice in large part due to a quest for dominion.

Image © Steve Creitz from GoodSalt.com

Church politics, once an aberration, is now considered the norm. Jockeying for influence, power and control in the church has resulted in the development of institutions of religion that are far from righteous.

Man was given dominion over all earthly life when he stood innocent in the Garden of Eden. His rule of care and direction was a characteristic of his God-given power. It was an element of his perfection.

“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” Genesis 1:31

Adam, through his failure, lost his dominion. What was once effortless and normal now became difficult and uncertain. His natural dominion had ended and everything became tainted with the results of sin.

Since the day of Adam’s fall, man has attempted to regain dominion. There is within us a natural desire for preeminence. Our societies celebrate man’s unquenchable pursuit of dominion. Those that stand at the pinnacle are admired not necessarily for how they got there, but just the fact that they are there. We celebrate and strive for dominion.

This is not new to our generation. Secular history as well as biblical history records man’s pursuit of dominion. There was an instance recorded in the Bible where Jesus addressed this issue head on. Matthew 20 records the story of the mother of James and John making a special request to Jesus for her sons.

“Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.” Matthew 20:21

Although their devoted mother failed to understand the true nature of the coming kingdom, she believed that the Master would lead it and she wanted her sons to play an integral part in it. Her request incensed the other disciples, not because of their purity of heart but because they might get pushed down the pecking order.

Jesus was training the future leaders of the church and this was a prime teachable moment. He understood the sentiments of the mother’s heart and also the motivation of the disciple’s displeasure. Their desire for supremacy, while common, was none the less at odds with His kingdom.

“But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you:” Matthew 20:25-26

Before we examine what more Jesus had to say about this, let’s pause and take note of how clear He was in His teaching. To the leaders of the future church Jesus was plainly stating that the quest for dominion and supremacy was NOT to be how they lived their lives. This commandment is at the root of His ministry and if they were to be true disciples, it must be theirs as well.

“But whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26-28

Every turn of the page of the Gospels is another reminder of how radically different Christ’s kingdom is from the kingdoms of this world. It operates on different principles and has a different aim in mind. It exists to serve humanity and not to be served.

The dominion to be restored to men is more than the temporary dominion that withers away as grass. The struggle for dominion in this world (not to be confused with a struggle for justice) is contrary to our calling. Our Savior, who holds worlds in the palm of His hand, has more for us in mind than any fleeting glory this world has to offer.

Here are a few Hit the Mark questions for this week’s lesson discussion:

• What does the word domination mean to you?
• Is it true that serving God faithfully leads us to have dominion over others? (head and not the tail) Explain your answer
• Matthew 20:27 says, “And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.” What does it mean to be a servant?
• How much of a believer’s life should be dedicated to serving others? Explain your answer.
• What, if anything should believers do to avoid being taken advantage of?
• Does being a servant mean that a person should not have dreams and aspirations in life? Why yes or no?
• Explain what it means to live as a servant, particularly outside of church programs.
• Is the following statement True, Mostly True, Somewhat True or Not True: Not every believer is expected to have the gift of servanthood. Explain your answer.

We close this week lesson on Restoring Dominion with a glimpse of the ultimate dominion as prophesied in the book of Daniel. This is the dominion that matters most:

“And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.” Daniel 7:27

Until next week, let’s all continue to Hit the Mark in Sabbath School.

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