How do you view greatness?
The disciples had a tough time understanding Greatness - Jesus Style. They continually thought in terms of a powerful theocracy with Israel being victorious over all nations and Jesus being the Messianic King of all the earthly domain.
The other question they struggled with was who of them would be given the most authority and recognition in the new Kingdom. Jesus tried to help them understand over and over that He would be Messiah most on the cross and that His victory would be over death and the spiritual powers of darkness. The Kingdom that Jesus would establish would be in their hearts, in their midst and through them in all of their life.
Jesus leads the men toward Jerusalem, which will be His death. Jesus draws near His ordeal but the disciples do not draw nearer to understanding His Mission.
Mark gives us a picture in the Gospel of Mark 9:30-35 Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn’t want anyone to know He was there, for He wanted to spend more time with His disciples and teach them. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of His enemies. He will be killed, but three days later He will rise from the dead.” They didn’t understand what he was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask Him what He meant. After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked His disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?” But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to Him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”
Jesus' destiny was set and it would cost a great price. Jesus does not discourage their ambitions for greatness, to make a significant mark on life, to be all they could be. There is nothing godly about passionless contentment. Jesus is attempting to bring clarity to their understanding of greatness - GREATNESS IS NOT POWER OR PRESTIGE, BUT SERVICE AND SELF GIVING LOVE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
GREATNESS IS OURS IF WE FOLLOW THE SON OF MAN WHO DID NOT COME TO BE SERVED, BUT TO SERVE, AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE A RANSOM FOR MANY.
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