Who Is Greatest?
By Shauna Leis
“They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last and the servant of all.’”
Mark 9:33-35
Nathan, our six year old, like most children his age, struggles with what it means to truly be a servant. He constantly wants to be the center of attention and to be recognized for what he has accomplished. Aren’t we all like that sometimes! And, if he has to do so to the detriment of his little sister, then so be it!
This all came to a head a few weeks ago on a Sunday evening when we were letting Grace practice her gymnastics downstairs. Nathan gets to play T-ball, football, and basketball, and he is very good at school as well. Since Grace is only three years old, the only thing she can really call her own is her gymnastics. And she gets so excited when she does something well in it. We were practicing forward rolls, and she did one flawlessly, with no hands touching the floor. She squealed with delight and ran over to give me a great big hug. Our son, however, immediately began to practice his forward rolls right where she was practicing while saying, “Look at me, Mom, I can do it, too.” Rather than being excited for her and congratulating her on a job well done, he was more concerned about us recognizing him for what he was doing.
Now, normally my tendency would be to get upset with Nathan to have more respect for his sister and congratulate her on the one thing that she enjoys, but thankfully God was working in my heart, too, to use this as an opportunity to teach our entire family a lesson in servanthood. Servanthood by nature does not come easily to us humans. God led me right to the verses in Mark above, and I read them aloud to my children and husband. We began to talk about what it means to be a servant to other people and started listing ways that we can all be servants. We also decided to put together a servants’ chart that has places for stickers, and anytime someone is “caught” being a servant to someone else, he or she will get a sticker on the chart. But, the key we all agreed was not boasting about how much of a servant we have been to someone else. Rather it was better to get “caught” doing things for other people that would really reflect a servant’s heart.
The ultimate example of a servant, though, can be found through Christ’s example in the gospel of John. Jesus showed His disciples what it truly meant to be a servant here on earth just before the night of the Passover Feast. He had finished a meal with His disciples in John 13 and proceeded to wash their feet in verses 4 and 5. “So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”
Jesus then explained to His disciples what this all meant in verses 12-17. “When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’ he asked them. ‘You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.’”
Friend, are you and I following Jesus’ example here on earth as He told the disciples to do after this meal? Are we taking the time to “wash each other’s feet” while we are here on earth? Or, are we so consumed with our own lives that we miss the opportunity to do for others? Are we clamoring for the attention of others, or even of God, saying “Look at me”? In a world so full of things tugging at our attention, it is often hard to find the time to think of others instead of just ourselves. Our time is so very precious to us, and there is never enough of it to go around. There are also other times we would like just a little praise ourselves for what we have accomplished! However, Jesus tells us in the last verse that when we consider others better than ourselves we “will be blessed if we do them.”
Philippians 2:3-4 says it so much better than I ever could. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” My challenge to each of us today (including myself) is to seek opportunities this coming week to be a servant to those we encounter along the way. We will never be sorry following Jesus’ example.
Pray with me: Lord, we come before You so humble of heart. Through Your example, we know what it means to truly be a servant to other people. You left no room for interpretation but spelled it out clearly that we are supposed to consider others better than ourselves. God, work in our hearts to strip away all of the “self” attitude that we hide there. Instead, replace it with a love for others that can only come from You. God we want to be a servant to all whom we meet along the way, and we especially want to be servants to those in our families each and every day. God, we love You so very much and pray all of this in the precious name of Your Son, Jesus Christ! Amen!