Jesus’ teaching on servant-Leadership (Matthew 20:25-28): a model for Christian youth participation in politics

Abstract

Youths have been underrepresented and excluded from active and visible participation in Nigerian politics as a result of the exclusion frameworks of the large population by the more elderly members of the political class. This intentional exclusion by the aged members of the Nigerian political class has been situated in and leverages on the supposed immaturity and incapabilities of majority of the Nigerian youth. Some scholars have explored youth political participation in Nigeria from legal, sociological, democratic, and contextual perspectives, but without relating it to Jesus’ teaching on the servant-leadership model. Therefore, this study carries out a socio-rhetorical analysis of Matthew 20:25-28 to explicate a servant-leadership model to political participation. The exhumed servant-leadership model of the Matthean account is appropriated in the context of advocating for Christian youths’ political participation in Nigerian politics. Data collected from the Bible and bibliographic sources were exegetically and descriptively analysed respectively. Evidentially, Jesus’ teaching on servantleadership in Matthew 20:25-28 emphasises service and not lording, teamwork and collaboration in leadership and serves as a veritable resource model for political participation in Nigeria. Consequently, the elderly political class in Nigeria should imbibe an inclusive framework that allows the youth to participate and be represented in Nigerian politics.