Untitled Sermon
Notes
Transcript
Who is the greatest?
Who is the greatest?
Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?” But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.
Jesus and His disciples return to the familiar setting of Capernaum; likely, they went to the house of Peter, which functioned as a headquarters while they were in that city.
While the travelled it is evident that the disciples were having a conversation amongst themselves. They seem to have left Jesus out of the discussion. Either through a word of knowledge, or having overheard some of their dialogue, Jesus addresses the topic of greatness.
God knows the questions that reside in our hearts. Nothing is kept secret from Him.
The topic of discussion was one they must have assumed Jesus would have looked down upon. Nevertheless they entertained the conversation among themselves.
How often would our conversations embarrass us if the Lord asked us to explain the topic?
We talk about peoples attractiveness, we discuss who among us would win competitions, we discuss the flaws of individuals, we gossip.
By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom.
c. Each disciple must have been making the case for their own abilities, intellect, relationship to Jesus, faith, courage etc. These conversations are always steeped in pride, and are not what God uses to determine greatness in His children.
i. When we begin comparing ourselves to other people it can lead to both pride and envy. Instead, we should look to make ourselves like Jesus knowing that we could never be greater then Him.
d. The fact that the disciples were discussing who would be the greatest emphasizes their ignorance about Jesus’ previous words detailing His imminent death and resurrection. They were still under the impression that He was about to reestablish the Kingdom of Israel. The conversation depicts their own selfish ambitions, as they determine what important role they would fill in the new Messianic administration.
i. We are told in Philippians to, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better then himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
ii. The disciples likely desired recognition from men for their faithful service for Jesus. They may have desired authority or riches as a reward for leaving all to follow Christ the previous three years.
Although it is good to set goals, it is important to examine our motives regarding the vision we have of our future. Is it based upon God’s desire and glory or our own? Will it aid the spread of the gospel or hinder it? Will it promote healthy spiritual growth in our lives, or open of the door of temptation and destruction? Is it primarily a selfish future we desire, or a selfless sacrifice to God’s purposes and plan?
And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
Jesus sitting made known to the disciples that He was about to teach them something. Rabbis often sat down in the synagogues while teaching principles or expounding Scripture.
The principle was simplistic in content, but radical in application.
Jesus taught them that in order to achieve their desire to be great in His kingdom, they ought to strive to be the lowest servant.
Jesus teaching is contrary to the culture of His contemporaries, but also to our modern cultural minds. Prominent men of Jesus day were often recognized by their fine apparel, large homes, and many servants.
It would have been irrational to assume the greatest person in a household was the one serving all the other servants!
Instead of trying to dominate and prove our superiority over other people, instead the Christian is called to serve them through love.
If we are to serve others and give aid to their interests over our own it is required that we humble ourselves. We can’t serve others out of obligation, but are called to do it with sincerity of heart, knowing that God sees our intentions. This truly leaves no room for pride in the heart of the believer.
Pride will destroy any hope of praise from God for our service; it causes our service to be pretentious and self serving in nature.
Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”
We do not know whose child this was, but it is evidence that Jesus was not alone with only the twelve.
Jesus placed the child before them as an object lesson.
Imagine what the child was doing, standing or sitting in the midst of the disciples. Maybe the child looked stunned as children often do when found in unfamiliar circumstances; maybe the child smiled and giggled warming the hearts of the audience; or perhaps the child began to quiver at the lip in a brief moment of distress.
In the rank of a household children were considered of the lowest position. In Roman culture children were considered in a similar category to property or slaves. A roman father had the legal right to execute an insubordinate child
