There is nothing that beats being number one. When you are at the top, it is a great feeling of accomplishment. Numerous people exert incredible time and energy to be first in their field. Jesus flips that on its head by telling us that if you want to be first in the kingdom of God, you must be a servant of all. This way to the top is to be last.
Mark 9:35
“Sitting down, he called the Twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last and servant of all.”
Nothing to Speak of
The disciples were arguing over who was the greatest disciple. This is laughable considering who they were following around for the last few years. None of these men had any accomplishments to speak of, but they were still debating who was the best. Jesus knows what they are talking about and asks them. They got real quiet. He then tells the greatest is the one who serves everyone.
The Jesus Model
Servants are always the last ones to eat. They make sure the people they are serving have every need taken care of before they think of themselves. Jesus is calling us to follow the same model. If we want to be exalted in God’s eyes, we need to put others before ourselves. We should be looking to care for their needs before we take care of our own. This is the way of the cross and the example that Jesus modeled.
The Better Path
We can seek the applause of men, or we can seek the reward from God. They are two diverse paths, and you can travel them both. If you want others to recognize your talent or abilities, you will struggle with being last. Choose to serve everyone and make sure others are being praised. What you find in the process is that the joy you get from that is better than any prize for being first
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