"THE PATH TO GREATNESS IS FOUND IN SERVING OTHERS"
Matthew 20:20-28
by: Sis. Diane Leonardo
Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899) was an American evangelist who founded the Northfield Schools in Massachusetts, Moody Church and Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, and the Colportage Association. I would like to share an interesting story involving this great man of God.
A large group of European Pastors came to one of D.L. Moody's Northfield Bible conferences in Massachusetts in the late 1800s. Following the European custom of the time, each guest put his shoes outside his room to be cleaned by the hall servants overnight. But of course this was America and there were no hall servants.
Walking the dormitory halls that night, Moody saw the shoes and determined not to embarrass his brothers. He mentioned the need to some ministerial students who were there but met with only silence or pious excuses. Moody returned to the dorm, gathered up the shoes. And, alone in his room, the world's only famous evangelist began to clean and polish the shoes. Only the unexpected arrival of a friend in the midst of the work revealed the secret.
When the foreign visitors opened the doors the next morning, their shoes were polished. They never know by whom. Moody told no one, but his friend told a few people, and during the rest of the conference, different men volunteers to shine the shoes in secret. Perhaps the episode is a vital insight into why God used D. L. Moody as He did. He was a man with a servants' heart and was the basis of his true greatness. (Gary Inrig, A Call to Excellence, (Victor Brooks, a division of SP Publ., Wheaton, III; 1985), p.98)
In Matthew 20:20-28, we will learn important things that we should know in order to achieve true greatness. To achieve true greatness we will consider 3 points:
Point # 1. Faith Should Not Be Mingled with Great Selfishness (verse 20-21)
20 Then the wife of Zebedee came to Jesus with her two sons, bowed before him, and asked him for a favor. The wife of Zebedee is Salome, the sister of Mary who is the mother of Jesus which would make Jesus a cousin of James and John, their sons James and John, along with Peter, were Jesus closest friends among the twelve disciples. Perhaps James and John asked their mother to make the request for them and because she loved them and desired great things for them, she came to Jesus one day asking for a favor. 21 What do you want? Jesus asked her. She answered; Promise me that these two sons of mine will sit at your right and your left when you are King.
She asked Jesus to promise her that James would sit in one side of Jesus' throne in heaven and John would sit on the other side. She knew that if Jesus was king in heaven and sit in the throne, whoever was sitting next to Him would have a very high place in the kingdom and would be very powerful and very popular. Their faith is mingled with great deal of selfishness because they wished to be put in the most important place.
In our prayer sometimes, we tend to just ask and ask things without waiting for God’s revelation. Knowingly, we are asking for something out of our own motives and interest. The wife of Zebedee obviously had another motives other than praising Jesus; it’s her sons’ positions.
Point # 2. Closeness to Christ Requires Willingness to Suffer with Him (verse 22-23)
22 You don't know what you are asking for, Jesus answered the sons. Can you drink the cup of suffering that I am about to drink? We can, they answered.
Jesus looked at Salome and addressed "you" to John and James directly. ("You" is plural in Greek) He told them that they are equally mistaken what it means to follow Jesus. They failed to understand that a position like that would come about by much pain and suffering. The "cup" refers to the suffering and crucifixion that Jesus will face. It is the cup of suffering in which Jesus died for the sins of sinners. The cup represents a way of life that is going to involve afflictions, trials, persecutions, suffering and ultimately death.
James and John are confident in their response "we can."(another translation “we are able”) They are willing to suffer but they assured that their suffering would lead to earthly power. Their request was inspired by what Jesus said earlier.
"I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on 12 thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Matthew 19:28)
They thought that Jesus was going to establish an earthly political kingdom soon and they wanted to be no. 1 and no. 2 in the kingdom.
23 You will indeed drink from my cup, Jesus told them,…
Jesus foretold that James and John could drink from the cup of suffering and James become the first martyr of the church (Acts 12:2) and John experience persecution and exile (Rev. 1:9)
…but I do not have the right to choose who will sit at my right and my left. These places belong to those for whom my Father has prepared them.
Jesus also told that he agrees with the Father. He says that assigning of place in the Kingdom is by the Father. Jesus was showing that he was under the authority of the Father. It was the Father alone who makes the disciples about leadership in heaven. The reward for who will sit on the throne is not granted as favors. They are for those who have maintained their commitment to Jesus in spite of severe trials.
Point # 3. Greatness Is Not a Matter of Authority and Control but Of Humility and Service (verses 24-28)
24 When the other ten disciples heard about this, they became angry with the two brothers. 25 So Jesus called them all together and said, You know that the rulers of the heathen have power over them, and the leaders have complete authority. 26 This, however, is not the way it shall be among you. If one of you wants to be great, you must be the servant of the rest; 27 and if one of you wants to be first, you must be the slave of the others—28 like the Son of Man, who did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life to redeem many people.
24 When the other ten disciples heard about this, they became angry with the two brothers.
When the ten disciples heard what they are discussing about, they were upset with James and John for trying to grab the two most important positions because all of them wanted to be the greatest and wanted to sit on the left and right of the throne. There is a certain degree of division occurred among the disciples. This shows how longing and striving for position, power and praise quickly ruins relationship in the body of Christ and creates disunity and division.
25 So Jesus called them all together and said, you know that the rulers of the heathen have power over them, and the leaders have complete authority.
When Jesus saw that they were upset, He called all the apostles together in a nice way to teach them an important lesson. He said that in the Gentile world, the Gentile rulers exercise authority and tyrannize the people under him, they exercise arbitrary power over the people. Such honors are customary among nations. Whoever rules the country raise their favorites to posts of trust and power and they give authority to some over others. It used to denote that the manners in which human government are constituted. It used to denote that the matter in which human governments are constituted. (Heathen or Gentiles – are all who were not Jews)
But God's Kingdom is established in different manner. All are to be on a level; the rich, the poor, the learned, the unlearned, the bond, the free are to be equal. The most distinguished is the one who shows humility.
26 This, however, is not the way it shall be among you. If one of you wants to be great, you must be the servant of the rest;
Jesus told his disciples wanting to be great that they should not be the same with Gentiles on how they treat each other. He also told them that if a person must be willing to be great (important or popular), that person must be willing to let someone else be their first priority. Jesus said that greatness among the saints is not like what the Gentile rulers are doing to the people under them. He taught that the greatest person in God's Kingdom is the servant of all. Authority is not given to self-importance, ambition or respect, but for the service of God and His creations.
There are two kinds of greatness:
1. Greatness associated with one's position
If you are with the world, the great man is one who is more powerful or more important wealthy and popular. Whenever he goes, he has aides and assistants with him to follow his orders. He is given VIP treatment and receives special favors whenever he goes. People regard him with respect because of his rank. He never stoops to anything menial or not important. There are always others to do that for him. For the world, the true greatness lies in controlled use of power or success from hard work. Most men of the world are interested only in greatness as for as their position is concerned.
2. Greatness linked with one's personal character
If you are with the Lord, greatness is measured by the extent to which we serve rather than the extent to which we are served. The great man is the one who stoops to become a slave for others. No service is too menial. He does not expect any special treatment or thanks. If Jesus stooped so low to serve us (remember when Jesus washed disciples feet?) why should we think it beneath our dignity to serve others?
In Jesus Kingdom, greatness is found in serving. It is never to be found in position or power or in the praise and opinion of men, but in servant – like service to others.
According to William Arthur Ward – greatness is not found in possession, power, position or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service and character. One of the greatest hindrances to service or servant – living, is the desire for some form of exaltation – position, praise, prestige and power, man's impatience and his desire to be served now. If you are going to become greatest among Jesus followers, we are going to serve our family Kingdom members. What if we forget? Jesus gave us the cross to remind us that the path of obedience, the path to greatness, the path to glory is found in serving others.
The Christian realizes that positional greatness without greatness of character is worthless. It is what's inside a person that counts. In the world's thinking you rise to greatness but in Jesus teaching, you descend to greatness.
27 and if one of you wants to be first, you must be the slave of the others—
Jesus described leadership that instead of using people, we are to serve them. The mission of Jesus was to serve others and to give his life away. A real leader must have a servants' heart and a servant leaders appreciate other's worth.
There are two words here used in revealing just exactly what consist true greatness.
1. Servant / minister (verse 26)
2. Slave (verse 27)
Servant comes from the Greek word diakono meaning an attendant, to run an errand.
A servant - is characterized no so much a person to be despised, but someone without right.
- submits himself to the will of his master.
- is one who serves, or does serves, voluntarily or on compulsion, a person who is employed by another for menial offices or for other labor.
Minister – a servant. The original word is deacon. A word meaning a servant of any kind, one especially who served at a table, and in the New Testament, one who serves the church. Preaching the gospel are called ministers because they are servants of God.
For Christians, servant means submission to God first, and then submission to one another.
Slave is the literal meaning of doulos which means a bond slave and the Lord here plainly teaches us that the highest service is that of a bond slave. Slave was forced into service. He is someone who really has no rights and no honor. The whole purpose of a slave is to serve his or her master. In other words, our purpose is to serve Jesus. Our whole being should be directed to the cause of Christ, and the way we do that is by serving other people. Our primary mission is to minister to people not to be admired by them. These were the two lowest positions in society. Yet Jesus said to be a servant and a slave was to be "great" and "first."
"Servant in our English New Testament usually represents the Greek doulos (bondslave). Sometimes it means diakonos (deacon or minister); this is strictly accurate for doulos and diakonos are synonyms. Both words denote a man, who is not at his own disposal but is his master's purchased property. Bought to serve his master's needs, to be at his beck and call every moment, the slaves' sole business is to do as he is told. When the New Testament speaks of ministering to the saints, it means not primarily preaching to them but devoting time, troubles, and substance to giving them all the practical help possible." (James Packer, your Father Loves you, Harold Shaw Publishers, 1986)
So, the idea that lies back of greatness from our Lords' word is a picture of a person:
1. Who is serving others
2. Who is involved in work, that is for the benefit of others
3. Who is a person owned by God
28 like the Son of Man, who did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life to redeem many people.
Another word for redeem is ransom. Ransom came from the Greek word "lutron." It is a redemption price for a slaves' freedom. It also means the price of release, a word that was often used for the money paid for the release of a slave. Jesus told his disciples that He did not come for people to serve Him. He told them that He came to serve and to give his life away for all people. His disciples did not understand what Jesus was talking about. They could not even imagine what was going to happen. Jesus always told his disciples that he must die, and it is only here that He told them why – to redeem all people from the bondage of sin and death. The disciples thought that as long as Jesus was alive, He could save them. But Jesus revealed that only His death could save them and the world.
IN CONCLUSION:
How can we achieve true greatness?
1. Faith should not be mingled with great selfishness. (verse 20-21)
2. Closeness to Christ requires willingness to suffer with Him. (verse 22-23)
3. Greatness is not a matter of authority and control but of humility and service. (verse 24-28)
Jesus wants us to humble ourselves and think about others. He does not want us to boast or brag. He wants us to care for others and accept them. Jesus showed us how to be humble by His example. Remember that He was in Heaven with God before He came to earth as a baby but instead of being proud; He became a servant and helped others. Even more, Jesus submitted Himself on the cross to die for all our sins. That's real humility. We should care for others in the same way Jesus really died on the cross. He did not die because of something wrong that He had done, He took our place instead. The best news is that Jesus did not stay dead. Because He is alive, we can go to heaven and be with Him one day!
Are we living our lives expecting others to serve us? Do we view those around us as opportunities to serve both Christ and others? Are we close – fisted or open handed? Let's follow the example that Christ set for us. Let's serve one another.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a Baptist minister and president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and was the most prominent African-American leader in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. His real name was Michael Luther King and was changed in honor of the sixteenth – century German church reformer Martin Luther.
Martin Luther gives the definition of greatness. It means that everybody can be great because everybody can serve.
You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve; you don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love. And you can be that servant. – Martin Luther King, Jr.
