01/18/2024 – How to achieve true greatness
Matthew 20: 20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. 21 “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” 22 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. 23 Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”
John and James have a desire for greatness, and they understand that true greatness is proximity to Jesus. The closer we are to Jesus, the greater we are. There is only one path to greatness. Many people know about Jesus, love Jesus…but some are closer to Jesus than others. The way to be closer to Him is not human superiority, but Godly humility. The more you love like Him, serve like Him, the closer you are to Him. You can be closer to Jesus than you are today. And He the closer you are to Him, the more you will enjoy His glory, His greatness in your life!
Not only do we reject the call to service, but we want to be served. Sinful man will stop at nothing to demand service. We will abuse others to the point of slavery in our attempt to achieve greatness through the service of others. This mindset is prevalent in the world, and it has infected the church.
It is one thing to perform acts of service. It is another to become a servant. When you are a servant, the service you perform defines you. It is an important aspect of who you are. The Apostle Paul begins most of his letters, including the letter to the Philippians, describing himself in this way: Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ. There is no higher title on this earth. Service is the road to greatness. In today’s reading, the Lord Jesus reveals that the road to greatness demands service. The result of humble service is nothing short of greatness.