As Jesus walked toward Capernaum, He was speaking of His coming suffering, death, and resurrection. Behind Him, the disciples were arguing—not about His mission, but about their own greatness. The contrast could not be sharper. While Jesus moved steadily toward the cross, they scrambled for status.
When Jesus asked what they were discussing, their silence exposed their hearts. And in one sentence, He overturned the world’s definition of greatness: “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” In Christ’s kingdom, greatness is not achieved by rising above others, but by stooping below them.
This is not merely a teaching—it is a reflection of Jesus Himself. The King of the kingdom “came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). The path He calls us to walk is the very path He has already walked for us.
If we are honest, we see ourselves in the disciples. We recognize the same rivalries, the same desire for recognition, the same quiet comparisons. Selfish ambition surfaces even in holy places. The cure is not trying harder, but becoming humbler. As David Wells writes, true humility is “freedom from our self… the freedom of knowing that we are not in the center of the universe.”
This lesson is hard—but full of hope. Jesus does not abandon self-absorbed disciples. Instead, He teaches them, serves them, and gives Himself for them. Only the grace of Christ can turn our eyes away from ourselves and set us free. Only gazing at the One who left heaven’s glory for the shame of the cross can loosen our grip on status and replace it with love.
Today, Jesus calls you to serve—not to earn His favor, but because you already have it. He serves you still, and in His service you find true freedom.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus,
You did not come to be served, but to serve and to give Your life for me.
Free me from my pride and my need to be seen.
Give me a humble heart that delights in serving others for Your glory.
Help me to love as I have been loved.
Amen.
2Cherish2Commend 