Whoever Wants to be Great Among You

Someone wants to be great

One night at dinner, an unusual thing happened. At the time, it didn’t seem that great. But in hindsight, it seems extraordinarily brazen and self-serving, but I don’t think it’s all that unusual. I’m sure every Christian has been tempted by the temptation to be great in God’s kingdom. Let’s watch an imaginary video of this amazing event, which occurred over two thousand years ago…

[FADE TO OPENING SCENE
JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES
EATING DINNER]

Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. “What is your request?” he asked.

She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”

But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?”

“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”

Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”

When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. (Matthew 20)

[CUT TO SCENE TWO AT THE SAME MEAL,
WHERE THE DISCIPLES ARE ARGUING INDIGNANTLY]

Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. (Luke 22)

[VOICEOVER]

I seriously doubt this was the first or last time anyone or any group has considered or debated who would be the greatest among them.

[CUT BACK TO SCENE ONE]

But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 22)

[CUT TO SCENE TWO]

Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves. (Luke 22)

[VOICEOVER]

So, God’s people, whether the 12 disciples, or the 12 bazillion Christians since then, are not supposed to be like the Gentiles, lording it over one another. How about you? How about those around you? Is that what you do? Is that what those around you do? If so, they are not following in the walk or talk of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[FLASHBACK TO EARLIER IN THE NIGHT
WITH JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES]

After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them. (John 13)

[VOICEOVER]

Jesus told his disciples they didn’t understand what he was doing. Do you understand what he was doing?

[FADE TO BLACK]

This is the same Jesus Christ who rebuked the Pharisees and religious law experts…

Jesus also taught: “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be more severely punished.” (Mark 12)

“But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. “Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the market places. “Woe to you! For you are like concealed tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it.” (Luke 11)

That example is consistent with the instructions the Apostle Paul gave to all the churches…

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another. (Galatians 5)

And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor. (1 Peter 5)

Do we give the highest honor and the highest praise to the lowliest servant who serves the Lord in purity and humility without any hidden motive of being praised or paid back? Do we consider the humble man, woman, or child who leads by example more important than the great high-paid preacher who speaks great oratory?

The truth is, when you see people proudly wielding authority over others and when you see people struggling among themselves for a position of power, they are not following the example of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, or the Apostle Peter. In short, they are not following a godly pattern. God wants his servants to be humble servants…

What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. You adulterers!^a Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy? But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but favors the humble.” So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. (James 4)

The LORD mocks the mockers but is gracious to the humble. (Proverbs 3:34)

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