Greatness in the Kingdom of God is a true paradox. When measuring our success by the world’s standard, we wholeheartedly miss the mark on what Jesus left us as an example to live by.
The Disciples boldly asked the Lord one day, who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?
He did not rebuke them for the inquisition going on among themselves on who was the greatest, but He did tell them how to achieve True Greatness! I believe the Lord understood their human aspect of desiring to be great. However, He wanted them to achieve it His way. Not by the standards of the world.
In essence, Jesus said to be first, he must become last and servant of all. He then proceeded and took a child and set him in the midst of them and said. “Whosoever, therefore, shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Children in those days were esteemed as little of value and weren’t given to any power or prestige. They were humbled and lowly, thus Jesus was giving them an attribute of true greatness. Servant of all, and a life of humility…that’s where we find true greatness, and that’s where The Lord will look down on us and bless our life! Becoming a servant to all!!
Boy, that doesn’t sound like the greatness this world approves of. Therein lies the great paradox: who’s Kingdom are we living for? God’s Kingdom or Man’s? God’s Kingdom is inverted from the measure of the world we live in.
Blind ambition is the fuel that drives our world to greatness. Jockeying for position-power-prestige at the cost of others is what the world offers. Yet, again we must remember, we are not of this kingdom. At least, we shouldn’t be! Jesus Christ could have answered the Disciples that day, saying “I am the greatest.” Yet, He wanted to teach them a valuable lesson about servanthood and humility. He taught us, just because we can, doesn’t always mean we should.
Paul gave us the paradox of true Greatness when he wrote to the Philippian Church:
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant. He was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; (Philippians 2:3-9 KJV)
The Disciples too had bought into an ambitious worldly view of greatness. As they approached the dawn of the Crucifixion, the Disciples had heard the message of Jesus Christ. Walked with Him for over three years, yet had failed to understand the true meaning.
It’s an arsenic ambition to compare ourselves to anyone other than our Lord Jesus Christ! We buy into this cheap fallacy of what greatness is when we take our eyes off the Cross and look into the fields of another man. We sell ourselves short when looking across the aisle and witness the success of another man. Thus we begin to feel as though our life is a mere shadow of existence!
All the while, Jesus stands in the Heavens and beckons us to remember the day He washed the Disciples feet!!!! That’s true greatness!! Striving to be like Him ONLY!!! Being a servant in the Kingdom of God is what true greatness is. Choosing to reach for a towel rather than power and prestige, is where we find glorious virtue.
Blessings, JDS🙏🏻