5. How Does Jesus Define Greatness?

Me:

Welcome! Thanks for joining us today both in person and online as we wrap up this series, Guide to Greatness. I took a break from the series last Sunday because of Easter…but we will wrap it all up this morning in a big way.

You:

We all want to be great. You don’t think so? Let me turn it around on you. How many of you started out thinking: I want to be a poor student? I want to be a bad parent? I want to be an average teacher…or whatever your career is? We always start out wanting to be great, so what happens?

A couple of things. First off, who gets to define greatness? What is a great parent? Or a great student? Is a great student the straight A student or the one who gives their very best? Is a great athlete the one with all the championships or the one who has worked the hardest? According to our culture, greatness is the one on top, the champion, the one with all the accolades. But is that really greatness?

Second, how does one become great? Well, the simple American answer is this: hard work. Listen, there are a lot of success stories of people who just went out and worked hard and became great…we love those stories! However for every hard work story there are ten stories of people who used money, privilege, position or even bribery to get where they are…and then when they are in that position of “greatness”…well they are a pain in the kester to be around or work for. You know what I’m talking about! So while our culture has a misguided manner or defining and gaining greatness and being great at life, one has to wonder does God care about greatness? Does God provide us with the best way to be great at living life?

Thankfully Jesus provides us answers to these questions. Jesus not only defines greatness, but teaches us how to be great at life. Let me show you what I’m talking about.

God:

If you have a Bible or device, go to Mark chapter 10. If you are using the YouVersion Bible app, go to the bottom right hand corner. Select, MORE. In the new menu select, EVENTS. Look for Iowa City Church. All of the Scriptures and sermon notes will be available on your device.

Jesus, during his ministry, was viewed by most people as a great political leader. It makes sense, if the populous is desperate for a Messiah, and someone likes Jesus comes along…well he fit the bill as a king, ruler, messiah. Even Jesus’ own disciples viewed him as such. They saw is amazing miracles, heard is teachings and saw the crowds of people and they were ready to ride the coattails of his greatness.

So one day, as Jesus is approaching Jerusalem, two of his disciples, James and John make a request. They wish to sit in power, on Jesus’ cabinet when he takes control of Jerusalem (at least that’s how they thought things were going to work out. Their request was that one brother could sit at his right hand, and the other brother at his left hand. Essentially Jesus lets them know that they have no clue what they are asking about, and then tells them that his Heavenly father already has a plan for that. When the other disciples here about this…well, let’s read about their reaction.

Mark 10:41–42 NIV

When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.

The other 10 disciples are angry with James and John, mostly because Jesus and John asked Jesus first. There was as much jealousy as anger, to be sure. Jesus uses this moment to define greatness and leadership. Jesus use Gentile lord or rulers as an example. Many of those officials were made by appointment or through family relationships. These were titles or offices not earned. Jesus points out that these rulers maintain their power or create greatness by lording over people with power or authority. In those days it ment sending in soldiers, arresting people or executing them. The lead by fear, control or manipulation.

The truth is, nothing has changed. For many people, when they assume a position of power or title of office, they have to maintain that position through control, manipulation or fear…or they make themselves appear greater then what they really are. I could give numerous examples from government, politics, right down to the place where most of you are employed. However, let me give you a personal example from my life.

When I was about 16 or 17 years old, I was a Boy Scout and selected to be Patrol Leader. Of course, I immediately let this go to my head. I would boss the younger boys around…like making them always go get fire wood and water. About a year later, it was time to select new Patrol Leaders. The Scout Master said we would make the selection after the big camping trip. I knew that to maintain my position of Patrol Leader I was going to have to do some schmoozing and politicking. So on the camping trip, I was really nice to all the boys in my patrol. I offered to get fire wood and water…however it didn’t take long for all of the boys to figure out what was going on. In fact one of the boys called me out. He literally said, “We know what you’re doing. You’re just trying to be nice to us so that we vote for you to be Patrol Leader again.” Of course I denied it, but the truth is, he was right! I was only posturing so that I could maintain my power.

That is how the power structure of our culture works. On the grid of greatness, you do whatever it takes to maintain your control. Jesus then says something stunning about how greatness works in the Kingdom of God. Listen to what he says. This happens to be our Core Verse for last week.

Mark 10:43–45 NIV

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus defines greatness as those who are willing to lower themselves to the position of servant. There’s Jesus’ definition of greatness in the Kingdom of God: Greatness is found in serving others. Culturally, this makes no sense! In our context we view the one who has servants as great…but in the culture of the Kingdom to put the needs of others ahead of yours and to then meet those needs…that is greatness.

What this means is that to live well in God’s Kingdom, we have to make serving a priority. Greatness isn’t going to be found in our title, our wealth, or how many people serve us. In the Kingdom of God, greatness is found in a basin of water and a towel. A broom. Toilet bowl cleaner. Calloused hands and bruised knees. Here’s the amazing thing, Jesus doesn’t lord it over his disciples or give them this rule. In fact, he demonstrates greatness by serving them and then giving his life as a ransom for many.

Your Greatest Influence Will Come Through Serving Others

The perfect example of this in our culture is Mother Teresa. She was a global influencer, why? Was it because of her wealth? Her amazing speaking abilities? Her stature? She was a global influencer because she devoted her life to serving the lepers in Calcutta. Your greatest moments of influence and impact will happen when you are serving others.

There’s one other way Jesus teaches us how to be great at life.

In Jesus’ day, the Jewish folks were burdened with a lot of laws and commands on how to live life; what was right and what was wrong. Here’s what I’m talking about. For the Jewish people, they had 613 laws. The big ten, of course and then 603 applications and clarifications laws…that’s a lot. The ones who were really good at keeping all the laws would show off: “Look how good we are at keeping all the laws, aren’t we great!” This is an issue in religion. We build this scale of who is great at being religious and who isn’t. So a common question in Jesus’ day was this: Which is the most important command to follow. Well, one day, near the end of Jesus’ ministry he is confronted with that specific question. Look at Mark 12:28

Mark 12:28–31 NIV

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Most of you will notice that Jesus was asked for one command and he gave two. I mean, I’m sure it was a tough question to answer. When someone asks me if I want chocolate or vanilla I say: Both please! I get it. Unless, the two commandments are connected…and that is what makes them great.

The first command is from Deuteronomy 6:4-6. It is really the John 3:16 of the OT. The Jewish people said this prayer everyday and at every synagogue service. The people were to love God with their heart (their passions and desires), their soul (their will or determination), their mind (what they thought about or meditated on), and their strength (everything they physically did). Essentially they were to love God by being obedient to him with every ounce of their being and existence. Here’s the deal, what is the very best, most complete way to be obedient to God? Love people! So Jesus grabs Leviticus 19:18, love your neighbor as yourself. In other words, be active in doing to your neighbor as you would want done to yourself. To sit and not do anything for your neighbor or those around is not carrying out this command. Passivity doesn’t count! Looking out for the best interests of those around us is loving our neighbors…and in turn we are loving God. All parents are going to quickly understand what is going on here. What is the best way to a parent’s heart? Like, praise, or encourage their kids. You look out for the best interest of my kids, I’m going to pay attention to you, you will earn credibility because you care about something that is near and dear to me.

Listen, God loves his kids! All of them! The big ones, the little ones, the tall ones, the short ones. The ones with different skin pigmentation, the one with different languages, and cultures. The ones who are poor, the ones who are rich. The ones who are all tatted up, pierced up and just plain different. The ones who believe in God and those who don’t. They are all God’s kids and Jesus says that to love God we must love his kids…just as we would be treated. Here’s the part I have missed before and as I was studying it just jumped off the page. Jesus says: There is no commandment greater than these. In other words, these two commands link arms at the top…and every other commands falls in underneath…because all the commands ultimately circle back to loving God or loving people.

To Be Great At Life We Must Love God And Love People

Here’s the rub I think we all feel. Jesus, do I really have to love all people. Can’t I just be great at life by going to church, helping out with a ministry or two, reading my Bible and praying…can’t that just be enough? Jesus experienced this same type of feedback. In one exchange with a religious leader he challenged Jesus’ definition of neighbor. The religious leader’s preference about loving his neighbor was relegated to the privileged folks that lived in his neighborhood. Jesus then tells the man the familiar story of The Good Samaritan. A story about how the hated Samaritan was the one who was most neighborly. With that story Jesus redefined what it means to be a neighbor. It’s not someone who lives near us…instead it’s anyone to whom we draw near. We are to love those to whom we draw near.

Let me show you an example of what I’m talking about. Back when there were basketball games at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, one of the halftime entertainment events was when they selected some students to come down on floor and put on these bubble suits. They would then play a series of games where they would bounce off of each other…it’s quite funny! Instead of a bubble suit, think of it as a neighbor suit. As we go about our day there is this 18 inch bubble all around us and whoever that bubble touches automatically becomes our neighbor. So as we walk through the store or through our office or through our neighborhoods, we contact people who we can serve and and people we can love and in so doing we have discovered the greatest way to love God!

According to Jesus, to be great at life we must love God, love people and serve others.