I Am The Greatest

They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”-Mark 9:33-35

Who is the greatest football player of all time? Who is the greatest singer? The greatest actor? The answer to these questions is usually found in someone who has been on top in his field for some time. She probably has a wall of awards or records. And in many cases, he or she must also have a desire to be great. Most people can’t remain on top for an extended period of time without a deep motivation to actually do what it takes to be on top.

Some of Jesus’ disciples seemed to have had a healthy dose of this motivation, themselves.

In this passage, we see Jesus’ disciples arguing over which one of them was the greatest. Jesus had a mind blowing response to their question. According to Jesus, the Kingdom of God is so radical in its ways that greatness is based on being a servant. To be number one, you had to actually have the desire to NOT be number one. The most valuable to God are those who are least valuable to the world. This response took the disciples by surprise. And if we’re honest? 2,000 years later, we still struggle with this.

Regardless of how we struggle, the Bible is clear: if you want to be a great leader, you must be a servant to all.

Our prayer for you:
Our prayer is that you would see your role in your church and in your ministry with fresh eyes. Our prayer is that you would see your role as that of a servant, selflessly meeting the needs of others in Christ’s name