Mark 10:41-45 (NKJV) 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. 42 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall 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 a ransom for many.”
This week we have been looking at the difference in the world’s way of doing things and the bible way. Jesus points out a number of ways that the world handles various life situations. His response to this is in verse 42. “It shall not be so among you.”
Although I believe this chapter indicates that Jesus means these words to apply to anything in life, there is something very specific he is addressing. Two of his disciples have asked to occupy certain positions when Jesus comes into his kingdom. The request for position is not appropriate and causes jealousy among the other 10 disciples. Jesus does not rebuke the request for greatness. He wanted them to strive for greatness. The question is who determines what greatness is and how do you get it in the Kingdom of God.
The answer is something any Christian knows but few practice. Too often, the worldly definitions of greatness and success enter into the church. Money, fame and size become the barometers by which we measure them. This may produce an illusion of greatness but it will never be accepted by God.
I do not mean to imply that anyone who has wealth, fame or a large ministry is wrong. However, those things should not be seen as greatness. They should be seen as a result of greatness and seeking the will of God. If one does not have those things but is walking in the will of God for his or her life, than they are just as great in God’s eyes.
What is the measure of greatness in the Kingdom of God? Jesus defines it very clearly here in Mark 10. First, he points out how greatness in the world usually works. In the world, those who are strong exercise authority over the weak. Greatness in the world is usually obtained at the expense of someone else. If I am stronger than my competitor is, I will be greater in business. If I am stronger than my physical opponent on the sports field is I will be the greater athlete. If I can dominate my political opponent, I will win the election gain greater power.
In most areas of life, those who are strong will dominate the weak by the force of their strength. It may be strength of arms in war, strength of wealth or strength of personality. In any case, it is by beating or dominating someone else that greatness is obtained. It is in response to this that Jesus says, “It shall not be so among you.”
How will we find greatness in the Kingdom of God? Jesus says the path to greatness can only go through servant hood. He is very specific in what he tells them. We often tend to think of this in terms of serving God or serving the world. This is not what Jesus says to his disciples. Remember, he is talking to 12 people. He is not talking to the world. His direction is to them and them alone. Let us look at what he said.
Mark 10:43 (NKJV) 43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.
He did not tell them to serve him. He did not tell them to go out and serve the world. He did not tell them to be willing to serve people they did not know. He told them to serve each other. The path to greatness is not in serving God or people from some other part of the world. It is in serving the ones in your home, your job or your church. It is in serving people you may not want to serve. If I can serve the one next to me and not be jealous of his or her success, I am on my way to greatness in the Kingdom of God.
What does this really mean? I must be willing to put the good of my brothers and sisters above my own good. Paul agrees with Jesus on this.
Ephesians 4:1-3 (NKJV) 1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Paul exhorts us to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. We are to do that by walking with lowliness and gentleness toward one another. We are to bear with one another and be longsuffering when we are having problems getting along. This is part of what it means to serve one another.
It also means that we must be willing to promote our brother above ourselves. It means we must be willing to give our time and talent to help our brother succeed. If I am out for “number one”, I am not serving my brother and I am not a candidate for greatness in the Kingdom of God.
When I was first in fulltime ministry, God caused me to work under a very dear friend of mine. He was a little older than I was and we were a little bit competitive. When God showed me I was to work under him, he also said I was to give everything I had to make him a success. For ten years, I tried to do that.
It seemed that I was moving farther from fulfilling the will of God for my life as I served him. However, God made it clear to me that if I obeyed him he would take care of me. Eventually it became clear that I could not continue to follow him and the Lord led me in another direction. My willingness to serve him is part of what has brought me to the place where I am traveling all over the world speaking to leaders today.
Jesus tells his disciples that if they want to be great in the Kingdom of God they must serve each other. He goes on to reveal an even higher level of greatness. He who would be first must become the slave of the rest. What is the difference between a servant and a slave? The difference is that a servant has a choice and a slave does not.
We must understand that the slavery Jesus is speaking about here is not like the slavery that existed in the Roman world. They were slaves against their will. The slavery Jesus is referring to is the practice in the Old Testament called “love slavery.” An Israelite could not be slave to another Israelite forever. The exception to that rule was if the slave decided that he loved his master and wanted to stay with him. He could then submit of his own free will to be slave to the master for life.
If we want to be the greatest in the Kingdom of God we must willing give up our rights and become slaves of all who need us. In truth, that is what it means to be ministry. A leader in the body of Christ is not one who has authority over many people. A leader in the body of Christ is one who takes responsibility for many people. In so doing, he becomes their slave.
I want to be great in the Kingdom of God. I want to see God do great things in my life. To see that happen, I must be willing to lay down my will for others. I must be willing to sacrifice my success for others. If I do those things, I will find that the Lord himself will ensure my greatness. It may not be greatness in the eyes of men but it will be greatness in the eyes of God.
1 Peter 5:5-6 (NKJV) 5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
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