Who is the Greatest?

Luke 22:24–27 NKJV

24 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. 25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ 26 But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. 27 For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.

Back ground;

The 3 verses previous Jesus tells them there is one who will betray him

these are the last day of Jesus’ ministry.

But the disciples are so inward focused and worried about themselves they miss all the clues of the days a head. They want to know what their position or place in the kingdom will be.

In other places they are even getting angry about the position they held.

Benefactors:

Jesus’ kingdom was not like the earthly kingdoms they experienced. Gentile kings exercised domination, literally, “lord it over them.” Gentile authorities were called euergetai: “benefactors.” The term literally means, “ones who do good.” It was an honorary title that the government bestowed on princes, emperors, and the gods. Jesus ironically used a form of the Greek term for “called” that is probably to be interpreted as “have themselves called benefactors.” These people required recognition and glory for anything they gave or did for someone else. They bestowed the title on themselves. So in reality “benefactor” described a system that promoted injustice and unfairness. It was a system of “I will scratch your back if you will scratch mine.”

Butler, T. C. (2000). Luke (Vol. 3, pp. 369–370). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Jesus wanted the disciples to see very different from the world

Luke 22:26 NKJV

26 But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.

Getting to the real question.

“But it is not this way with you” Disciples we are not or should not work like the world.

This turns the world upside down, if we see ourself like a servant, even if we are the leaders.. If this doesn’t seem right. Let’s look further at Jesus’ view of a leader.

Mark 10:45 NKJV

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.”

He is really setting them up for the question he wants to ask them to think about.

What are you looking for in your life? Power, praise, position, prominence?

the disciple just heard what Jesus knew was about to happen but they were so wrapped up in their stuff the could only think about “what they were going to get”

How selfish, how self centred the disciples were, right? But when we pick a church what are we considering, as a church what is our motivation for what we do, when we make a decision to do anything what is your first consideration? Do we seek God, do pray and ask for his clarification? Or is what we think will be the most strategic for me.

So before we look at the disciple with distain and disgust. Look at your own self. Before you look at the spec in your brothers eye take the log out of yours.

Luke 22:27 NKJV

27 For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.

Most of us would say the person at the table. That is the way we act when we don’t get what we want at restaurant. I am no better than you.

But Jesus in the next few day would turn that on it head. The King of kings would lower himself to wash the feet of each the disciples and that would include Judas. He would go on trail on trumped up charges. He would carry a cross that was not his, and he would be placed on that cross for sin that he did not commit. This is the servant he would be.

Philippians 2:1–8 NKJV

1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Being important in the kingdom of God is being a servant to all. If you call your self a disciple, a follower of Jesus do you need to change the way you have been looking at life? If you want to be a part of somethings very different from the world. Where we see people different, where we treat people different, where we take a lower place if needed. Why so all can know the grace of Almighty God.