From the desk of Pastor Ben

Who Is the Greatest? – Part 2

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, ‘Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.’”         (Matthew 18:1-3)

Several months after this lesson, at the probable instigation of James and John, their mother kept ambition alive when she told Jesus, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left” (Matthew 20:21). To the Lord it must have been especially painful that this request came right after He had predicted His suffering and death in vs. 19. In the same way, on the night before His death, at the Last Supper, the apostles were still arguing about their own greatness (Luke 22:24). On neither occasion was there any indication of sympathy or grief concerning what Christ would soon endure on their behalf and on behalf of all who believe.

Concerning rank and greatness, the other apostles might at times have been jealous of Peter, since he was most intimate with Jesus and their leading spokesman. Peter was privileged, along with James and John, to see the transfiguration, and only Peter had walked on water and had his temple tax miraculously provided in a fish. But Jesus commanded only him to “Get behind Me, Satan!” (Matthew 16:23). The other disciples may have thought that the position of greatest among them was not yet finalized.

What the church today desperately needs to draw from the apostles’ displays of selfish ambition is a realization that personal greatness is not the issue for the Lord. Rather, believers must accept their obligation to selflessly serve fellow believers.

Ask Yourself:
Have you ever experienced someone being oblivious to your suffering, perhaps entering into flippant, meaningless conversation while you were dealing with something heavy and severe? How can you keep from being the one who is insensitive to the needs of those around you?