TRUE GREATNESS IS SERVING

⁴¹ When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. ⁴² Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ⁴³ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. ⁴⁵ 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.” Mark 10:41-45

How tenderly and patiently the Master dealt with His foolish disciples! It must have been disheartening for Him to go over the same ground again and again but He never gave up on them. He couldn’t because He had invested so much in these twelve men and, they would soon be left to take over His mission. Each one of them was hand-picked, even Judas, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and He had to trust the Father for the final outcome.

Jesus used this opportunity to teach them one of the most fundamental and crucial lessons of the kingdom – servant-hood flowing from humility. His own life was the visual aid for them. Day by day, encounter by encounter, incident by incident, they watched the way of the kingdom unfold in the life of their Master. He was the embodiment of humble servant-hood.

The disciples needed to correct their understanding of true greatness. They were constantly vying for position. They all wanted to be at the top of the pecking order in Jesus’ government. For that they were quite happy to climb on each other’s heads. This was evidence that the “yetzer harah”, the attitude of self first, was still their inner motivation. Something radical and life-transforming had yet to take place inside of them. Ezekiel called it “taking out the stony heart and replacing it with a heart of flesh”. How would that happen? The Apostle Paul referred to it as “being made alive”.

This would be part of the great work of the Holy Spirit who would, firstly, raise Christ from the dead three days after His crucifixion. Then, one by one, He would raise people from their spiritual death in their trespasses and sins, to new life through faith in Him. Jesus trusted that the seed of the Word He was sowing in them now would spring to life as the Holy Spirit quickened that word in their hearts through their human experiences.

The way of suffering was the pathway of learning. It was for Jesus and it would be for each one of them. Sonship involved discipline; training in submission, and their response of obedience would teach them humility.