Scripture Reading: Matthew 20:20-28
“…But whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”—Matthew 20:26-28
Whether in sports, entertainment, arts, business, ministry or any area in which achievement can be claimed, the term “the greatest” carries an aura of unparalleled excellence that no one can surpass. The pursuit of greatness is a noble quest if sought in order to better oneself or attain excellence for the sake of excellence. But the quest takes on a sinister persona when greatness is a veiled disguise for self-promotion.
Jesus’ Twelve Disciples walked with the Incarnate God, yet they were not immune to the human vanities of pride and ego. The Synoptic Gospels report Jesus had to caution the Twelve, more than once, about the hazards of pursuing “greatness” in the wrong manner or measuring it by the wrong metrics. In today’s passage, the mother of James and John asked that her sons be granted greatness by being seated to the right and left of Jesus in His kingdom. Their mother’s request points to the heart of our human perspective of greatness—we envision it as a place where one is offered deference and honor.
Jesus uses the moment to redefine greatness. No longer is it a position to receive honor, but a condition of servanthood. One who proclaims their greatness without devoting themselves to humble service to others has failed to understand Jesus’ metrics for greatness.
Greatness is not achieved by exalting oneself. Instead, it is a condition that unfolds when we immerse ourselves in the care and promotion of others. Apostle Paul joins in that same theme when he penned, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). Greatness that is inwardly focused or founded on our own sense of entitlement can never compare to the service inspired greatness that results from elevating the concerns of others above ourselves.
It has been nearly 2,000 years since Jesus’ lesson to the Twelve. Still, we struggle with the insatiable quest to be “the greatest” in our families, on our jobs, in our social circles, even in our ministries and houses of worship. I am reminded of a quote I was given over 20 years ago, “The Greatness of a leader is in his humility before God, not in his eloquence before men.” Until we recognize our greatness lies in our humility, we will be great only in our own eyes.
Question to Ponder: What makes a person great, the good they think of themselves or the good they make you think of yourself?
“It is not good to eat much honey;
So to seek one’s own glory is not glory.”—Proverbs 25:27
