“But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles Lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’” (Matthew 20:25-28)
This lesson is as unpleasant for a modern reader as any lesson that Jesus taught.
Here is the setup: The mother of James and John had asked Jesus to seat her boys at his his left and right sides in his kingdom. In other words, she wanted her sons in seats of authority. The other disciples were angry when they heard about the request.
Here is Jesus’ response: Jesus said his kingdom is different than worldly kingdoms that seat people in positions of power to rule over people. In that type of kingdom, power is status. The higher one sits the greater he is.
In contrast, in Jesus’ kingdom the way to the top is lowliness. Those who are “great” in the kingdom are humble servants.
Here is the model: Jesus, the creator of the world (Jn 1:3, Heb 1:2), humbly took on human flesh, and entered into his creation “not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (20:28)
Here is the challenge: Can I resist my own pride and the value system of my culture, which feeds my pride, to be a servant to others? If I want to be great in Christ’s kingdom, I must.
Father, help me grow in humility. Help me to delight in serving others. Amen.
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