Greatness In The Kingdome Of Heaven Is Servanthood

Matthew 20:20-28

As we begin December, the spirit of Christmas is all around. Joy, Peace, and Good will to all men are the usual themes of Christmas. In the spirit of Christmas, let’s take a look at the True essence of Christmas, Jesus Christ! Let’s face it, He is the only source of all the things that makes Christmas what it is. I thought about one of the virtues of Christmas that we can discuss, GIVING.

No, I am not talking about presents.........Giving of yourself, a servant.

Jesus is the greatest example of this.........So, let’s read what He said about this.........Matthew 20:20-28.......

This is interesting because this passage begins with pride, selfishness.......maybe that is harsh, but it is true and it is part of our fallen human creation!

A mother wanting the best for HER children........

The children didn’t stop her.....

The rest of the disciples were indignant with her and them for trying to get ahead of them.

All of this is pride and selfishness and those are not virtues and definitely not traits of greatness; as far as God’s Kingdom is concerned.

Jesus challenged them right straightway.......”You do not know what you ask!”

“Are you able to drink the bitter cup that I drink and be immersed in the what I will be immersed in?

They said they were and Jesus said that they would, but to grant them to sit at His Right Hand was only God’s to grant.

Greatness in the flesh is defined by those who have authority over folks.....

But that is not so in the Kingdom of God or even among the disciples.

If you desire to be great in God’s Truth, then you will have to be a servant! Servant to everyone!

Jesus continued and gave a great example of servanthood, Himself!

He came not to be served, but to be a servant and give His life a ransom (the price of a slave) for many!

After you read verse 28, I think of Matthew 1:21 “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

The essence of Jesus’ teaching is the giving of yourself, humbling yourself in service to people, just as Jesus did!

Folks try to define giving, they try to put amounts on giving, but a true servant is giving of themselves! There is no limit that can be set to that!

Now let’s get to the essence of this passage, after James & John’s mother ask for them to sit at the right & left hand in Heaven, Jesus talk to them about the bitter cup & baptism that He would face and were they able to bear it. Whether they could or not didn’t matter because they would face the same if they followed after Jesus.

Then Jesus tells them that He did not have the power to grant them that privilege, only God the Father does. Now, Jesus calls all the disciples close to Him and tells them the secret to greatness in God’s Kingdom..........

Greatness in God’s Kingdom is completely opposite than worldly leadership. In order to be great in God’s Kingdom you must be a servant. This is the very heart of Love, of which God is love.

The word “minister” is “diakonos” in which translated in English you get the word “deacon”, which means “servant”.

Now, this word originally was not a word associated with church/Christianity, it come along on in to the days of the early church (Acts 6).

Today, it’s only use is in the church, but back then it was not a religious word, it was common word meaning servant or one who serves.

Don’t get lost in the office but in what the word truly means!

Jesus is telling them that for works to be great in God’s Eyes, is for those works to be done as humble servant. One willing to lower themselves from their pride and selfishness and serve the Living God and one another.

In doing so, you are following them example of God the Son!

In the Bible there are many examples of this kind of this kind of servanthood!

Abraham, that very special and wonderful servant of God, said, “Behold now, I have taken to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes.”

Isaac. Isaac was willing to die as an offering to the Lord if that’s what God required.

Jacob. Jacob who cried out to God, “I am not worthy of the least of the mercies and of all the truth which Thou has shown unto Thy servant.

Joseph. Joseph, who - dishonored, sold into slavery by his own brothers - humbly forgave those villainous brothers and never retained in his heart one ounce of bitterness or vengeance. Joseph, who - it says in Genesis 50 – when he saw his brothers, wept and comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

And then there was David, wonderful servant of God who knew his own frailty and wrote, in 1 Chronicles 29, one of the great and humbling texts of all the Old Testament, “Praise be to You, O Lord God of our father Israel. From everlasting to everlasting. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the majesty, and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours.“Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom. You are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from You. You are the ruler of all things. In Your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give You thanks and praise Your glorious name.“But who am I? And who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from You, and we’ve given You only what comes from Your hand. We are aliens and strangers in Your sight as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow without hope.“O Lord our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building You’re a temple for Your holy name, it comes from Your hand, and all of it becomes to You.”

There are so many more, most of which are listed as heroes in Hebrews 11.......Heroes are usually great men.......but these heroes believed that they were the lowest of the low and declared and lived the life with faith that God was greater than all!

With this kind of faith, mind, and heart you will become a servant. The lowest, most menial task will be a pleasure for you!

Nothing was their own, it was all God’s and by God’s mercy He has granted them to us!

When you understand this, you will become a servant yourself, nothing of yours will be held onto so tightly that you are not willing to let go and serve God the Father and His Son Jesus and also those that He has put in your path!

This is true greatness, and it is of God, not of man! Man/Flesh doesn’t live like this! He has no power to be a true servant, it is only our faith in the Truth of God that can bring us to this place!

Let’s look at 2 Corinthians 8:1-9.............Paul was calling on the church at Corinth to gather a collection for the church at Jerusalem, which was dire need. Those at Jerusalem was in desperate poverty.

Paul uses the church at Macedonia’s giving as an example to the church at Corinth!

Notice first, the generosity of the churches at Macedonia was motivated by God’s Grace!

Paul, gave the credit to God for what He did through them!

These churches were in poverty as well, yet, they gave a surplus/more than what was asked of them.

Their kind of poverty would make folks beggars back then, yet they gave abundantly of what they had!

That is motivated by God, no human/fleshly mind would ever do that! Go without so that others can live!

Sure, there might be some that have done that..........but more for fame or to be recognized!

Never because they realize they deserve nothing in the first place!

These churches gave in 3 elements:

According to their ability

Beyond their ability

God sets no limit in the New Testament

They gave of their own accord......they gave voluntarily, out of the need that Jerusalem had!!!

How were they able to do that? Verses 8-9 detail why......

First, this not a command......it is not truly a gift it is commanded to be done.........Giving is never according to obligation or command!

Paul makes it clear that this is an encouragement not a command, instead “proving” the genuineness of the love of the Corinthians by the eagerness of the Macedonians.

Paul is “proving” the genuineness of the love of the Corinthians..........This expectation is apparent, not only from his boasting about the Corinthians’ eagerness to give (9:2), but also from his affirmation that they know (and thus have experienced) “the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ” (v. 9). The proof for which Paul calls is not finally a proving of the Corinthians but a proving of God’s work in them.

The sincerity of their love comes from their faith in Jesus Christ! That is the greatness in the Kingdom of God, the love! A love that God is and will always be, a love that transcends human thinking and reasoning!

That is the power of servanthood, the giving of yourself!

Jesus is that example............Jesus as the 2nd Person of Triune Godhead, owns everything and possess all power, authority, sovereignty, glory, honor, and majesty....Colossians 1:16-17 “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” ...yet, He became poor, He left His rightful place and gave Himself to death on a criminal’s cross to suffer the penalty for the sins of many, so that the sinners could be rich!

No.....this does not mean physical wealth....to make this about earthly riches lowers the understanding of the glory of spiritual riches that we inherit through the sacrifice and poverty of Christ!

Philippians 2:7 “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:”

We become rich in salvation, forgiveness (which is much needed), joy, peace, glory, honor, and majesty! We become joint-heirs with Christ!

Jesus is the example in both of our passages....He came to serve not to be served, He became poor so that sinners could share in His riches, He gave His life as a ransom for many!!!

Jesus is our perfect example of servanthood! I started off talking about giving/servanthood being in the spirit of Christmas.....Let it be in the Spirit of the Christ the Son of the Living God.....then it will be not done according to seasons, or by command, or by how much we do or don’t have ourselves...... but according to the sincerity of love fueled by our faith in the Truth of God Jesus Christ!