I'm the Greatest (Luke 22.24-27)
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Servant-Hood
Servant-Hood
A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest.
But he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors.
But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves.
For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
Intro:
Every believer in Jesus Christ is called to serve........
............it’s a part of our DNA or makeup as a follower of Jesus Christ.
(pause)
The hymn writer states…………… “A charge to keep I have…..and a God
to glorify”
(pause)
As believers in Christ…………
.....we are the midwives of power and authority………..
......with distinct instructions that must be followed in order to satisfy our maker……
(pause)
And so as we understand our Christological focus……
……….if we are going to know true greatness……….we must follow after what we have seen in Christ………
(pause)
What does it mean to be considered great?
What does it mean to serve?
Do you picture greatness when you picture servant hood?
Look at it....
A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest.
It is interesting that the initial conversation between Jesus and the disciples a few verses earlier revolved around sacrifice, love, and betrayal………….
And now we experience a shift whereby they are determining their level of effort as it relates to greatness………
Their first response was……………..
“I hope it aint me who is to betray you Jesus”
(pause)
And now this second response is………………
“Jesus, I’m the greatest of your Disciples!”
Meaning………..
.........that now they are considering how they measure up…………in terms of love and sacrifice……
(pause)
And they are determining this level of greatness based on their systematic thinking related to favor…
…..power and position……..
(pause)
And what’s also shocking here in the text.......
........is the timing of this conversation.
Because.......
.....this conversation should be related to the suffering of Jesus
......it should really be revolving around what Jesus is experiencing
However.......
......the disicples are so focused on themselves that they have started arguing about who was going to take over at the end of Jesus’s suffering!
(pause)
At the same table......
......where Jesus has explained to them that one of them would betray him
.......they are now arguing concerning which one of them is great enough to replace him...
(slight pause)
It sounds very ludacrous doesn’t it.......
But I wonder if God ever looks down at us as we sit at our tables and wonders,
Why are they arguing over who they think is greater?
We are measuring our value by comparing ourselves to one another based on those things we calculate to be important
And God says.......
...........you’re missing what matters most
(pause)
But what I admire most about Jesus here in the text………
…..is that he consistently maneuvers the disciples forward in spite of their misunderstandings………..
And so....
.....even when they are completely confused surrounding greatness and what it means to be great
Jesus says,
......come closer to me so I can teach you!
(pause)
And Freedom.......
(pause)
Look at it now………..
Luke 22.25 (read)
But he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors.
But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves.
Jesus says…………
The atmosphere of sacrifice and love……
……does not grade the levels of superiority…………in the same way as the world…..
Jesus is saying.......
I evaluate this differently...........
(pause)
Because if I’m only over you…………..I treat you like you are only under me!
(pause)
And there is no possibility to exchange love………..
when there is only a connection of oppressive authority………
in terms of how we see one another…..
(pause)
And………..that’s why a slave is not a servant…………..
(pause)
Because the only connection between the slave and the owner……….is the level of authority…….
......and the consequence and transaction of punishment
(pause)
But Jesus says…….
the master and the servant relationship…………
is completely different………..
because the master does not own the servant………without loving the servant first…
(pause)
And because they are connected by both love and sacrifice……….
there is a willingness to serve regardless of everything else………
(pause)
And Freedom......
This is where our hearts have to be........
......Because when we CARE greatly.......
...........we SERVE greatly!
(pause)
And Jesus mastered this.......
Jesus mastered,
“Art of Caring!”
When the two blind men on the side of the road in the Gospels were crying out to be healed......
........Jesus raised his voice above the discrimination of the crowd and cared enough to say,
“Be healed!”
(pause)
And Freedom,
I believe that we have to be the “Greatest in how we Care in our community”
Dr. Henri Nouwen says in his book “Out of Solitude”
Every human being has a great, yet often unkown, gift to care, to be compassionate, to become present to the other, to listen, to hear and to receive.
He goes on to say.......
If that gift would be set free and made available, miracles could take place.
(pause and expound)
Freedom,
I wonder if we could “SET FREE” the gift of CARING that propells our hearts to SERVE!
(pause)
And………
........destroy the dissoluion that SERVING shackles us down
But instead.......
........Caring enough to SERVE
......sets MIRACLES FREE!
(pause and expound)
The Son of God says in the text………..
“He that is greatest among you……….let him be as the younger”
That Greek word for young or younger………….
Means.......
“New, or novice”
(pause)
And I believe what Jesus is saying is......
Greatness has to be birthed out of a mindset that says......
I’m not as good as I want to be at this just yet!
In other words.....
Every person walking in Greatness doesn’t act like they know it all or that they have it all figured out......
......because they have discovered that you learn more when you remain hungry to gain more....
(pause)
And in my spiritual imagination
I see Jesus looking at the disciples and saying.....
Peter………….you’re the oldest …………….
.....but I need you to see yourself like John…………
(pause)
Because I am not a respect of person when it comes to age……..or gifting…….and servant hood………
(pause)
As a matter of fact……
‘’…the one thing that qualifies our gifting is our level of servant hood………….
(pause)
Look at how Jesus makes it plain………….
He says…………..age is not how we determine who serves……
Because humility…………does not get shut off……….at a certain age!
(pause)
But on the contrary………….according to Jesus……the servant should become more dedicated with more maturity………
(pause)
Jesus says…………
“And he that is chief………..is he that doth serve”
Freedom.....
The Greek word for “Serve” means......
.......to help or to minister
(pause)
And so now that makes sense.....
Because......
The higher my position the more I am able to minister or help someone else in need!
(pause and expound)
And So……………
Instead of thinking that our position is a resting place………….
....we should now understand that
the higher we sit…………
the greater our expectation……to serve and help……
(pause)
In other words……………………
I hear Jesus saying,
I need the disciples to see……….
Serving………..is not beneath you
....but instead serving is interwined with “GREATNESS!”
(pause)
I believe Jesus is saying these things about serving.....
Serving positions us to add value to our lives greatly
Serving positions us to lift burdens of others greatly
Serving positions us to discover more of God’s heart for our lives greatly
(pause)
Watch this........
When God told Samuel to go to Jesse’s house and anoint the next King for Israel.......
When the prophet got to the house God did not tell him to anoint the sons of Jesse who were dressed up and already in position.......
But instead,
God told Samuel........
“Go get that boy out there with them sheep!”
The one that don’t think he’s worthy
The one that nobody else thinks looks like a King
The one that everybody has looked over
(pause)
And God told me to help somebody understand what “The Standard” looks like!!!
Because if you’re not careful..........
.....the world will have you around here thinking that GREATNESS is skipping over your life.
But just like David.......
.........somebody is going to have to come out to the field and call for the SERVANT!
(pause)
“David..............
(slight pause)
.........Come here David!”
(slight pause)
............what you need Daddy
.......I’m out here serving
(slight pause)
...........Yea I know
........come on up here to the house
.......what for?
............because we need a KING!”
(pause and expound)
Look at it now........
For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
Luke’s Gospel says......
Man sets a standard that says....
Greatness is to be served.
But God sets a standard that says......
Greatness is when we actually serve.
And in my spiritual imagination.....
....... what Jesus is really saying to the disicples is that………..
“I am the greatest!”
..........yea
........and it don’t get any greater than me!
(pause)
And…………as the greatest…………..
......if I am willing to take a position of servant hood!
“Follow my LEAD!”
(pause)
Freedom........
(pause)