Luke 22:24-27 (NIV) Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.”
The disciples still didn’t get it. Jesus’ talk of the coming kingdom of God (verse 18) brought to mind their mistaken belief that the kingdom of God was to be a complete restoration of the state of Israel to its former glory, with the Messiah, Jesus, ensconced as king. And, of course, that meant that they, His closest followers, would become His highest-ranking officials.
This prompted a discussion of which of them would have the top spot in Jesus’ cabinet; which would be His second-in-command. Each of the disciples had their strengths, each had things that they could point to that they believed qualified them to be the one. And, before they realized it, the casual discussion had grown first serious, then loud.
Jesus put an end to the argument at once. Rather than trying to point out (again!) that God’s kingdom was not an earthly kingdom in the first place, He simply told them (again!) that the way that things operate in God’s kingdom are completely different than the way they operate in the kingdom of the world. In the world, there are hierarchies based on power structures, wealth, and strength, like the kings and emperors of the gentiles, who held their power by exerting authority and military might, and convincing those below them that it was in their best interests not to challenge that authority.
But the way of God’s kingdom is the mirror image of that. In God’s kingdom, humility and service rule the day, illustrated by none other than Jesus Himself. By their own reckoning, Jesus should have been a person who demanded that those around Him serve Him and cater to His every whim. He was, after all, the Messiah! Instead, Jesus cast Himself as one who serves. Even though Matthew did not include the narrative of Jesus’ washing the disciples feet before the meal began as John did (John 13:3-17), His statement, “I am among you as one who serves,” clearly reflects that very recent event.
Jesus message to His self-focused followers was clear: God’s kingdom is not at all like the kingdom of the world. To be at the top of God’s kingdom does not require ruthlessness, strength, power, or military might. It only requires a servant’s heart and love of the kind that Jesus continually demonstrated.
Father, it is still very easy for us to fall into two errors of the same kind as those the disciples fell into. Instead of seeing the kingdom of God as equivalent to any national kingdom or government, we often see it as equivalent to the organizational church. And then, we aim to exert influence or gain higher positions in the church structure, so that we can move things in the direction that we would have them to go. But although some, maybe even many, in the Church belong to the kingdom of God, neither the past or current iterations of the organizational church are identical to Your kingdom any more than the kingdom of Israel was. And positions of real influence in Your kingdom are still not based on power, strength, or military might, but on love and service – the same kind of love and service that Jesus Himself embodied. Lord, help me to love, to serve, to focus my energies and my priorities on YOUR agenda, and not worry about being great in the kingdom as people understand greatness, but focus on being great in the kingdom as You understand greatness. Amen.