“A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. 28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me,30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Luke 22.24-30
Imagine the ignorance of the disciples. They are in the presence of greatness. The greatest. It’s Jesus, God in the flesh, who sits at the table with them. And they are arguing among themselves about which of them is the greatest among the disciples. How foolish. They only became popular when their leader, Jesus, became popular. Their fame grew because of His. It’s like the teammates who played with Michael Jordan. We know their names because of his amazing abilities.
But the disciples don’t see it like that. They have begun to believe that greatness exists within them. Instead of praising, they are self-proclaiming. Instead of giving God glory, they are glorifying themselves and their place in the kingdom. Talk about foolish. How could they, who were in the very presence of God, turn their eyes upon themselves?
Yet Jesus, who is patient with all of us, gives a wonderful teaching in the midst of their selfish thinking. He speaks of the one who serves as being greater than the one who sits at the table. He identifies Himself as the one among them who serves. And even though He knows they are far from perfect, He “confers” upon them a kingdom, just as God “conferred” one upon Him.
Our natural position, of course, is to lift ourselves up and to look to our own needs before the needs of others. But this is not who we are supposed to be. Christ is our radiant joy, our everlasting Lord, our Savior, and our King. It is Him whom we are seeking to please. Our position is not to be elevated into a status of importance, but to willingly descend to the lowest level by choice. We choose to serve. Whereas the disciples were arguing in the presence of the Savior, we must choose another route.
I admit—it is not an easy path to take. The lure of being great, important, and well thought of can be both good and bad for our egos. But we must always turn the praise back to God because He is present with us. He resides within the hearts of all who have trusted Him as Lord and Savior. Just as He gave His life for us in death, so we must return our lives to Him by living to magnify Jesus.
This final day of Africa is now upon us. It’s been a journey! A wonderful team, so much serving and loving, so many new experiences and insights. We have built relationships, seen the operations of the church and God’s people, met children in need, and advanced the Kingdom of God. And for all of these things, I am grateful.
As we begin our journey home, I seek to remain a faithful servant of the King—guiding, loving, directing, and serving so that others might know the beauty of the Lord.
“O Lord, You are good and faithful. Thank You for loving me. Thank You for this trip and the opportunity to learn more about You and Your people. Come now, Holy Spirit. Bring us home safely and guide us into the next adventure so that You might receive praise and honor. For You are good, and Your love endures forever.” Amen.