September 11 - Who Is the Greatest?

0:00A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. But he said to them, the kings of the Gentiles exercised Lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you, rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater? One who reclines at table, or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves. You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, and I assign to you, as my father assigned to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

1:12Who is the greatest? Brian Chappell. This account is all the more striking and sad because of its immediate context. The disciples are with Jesus at the last supper. He has just told them that though he is the Son of God, the long-expected Messiah and prophesied Davidic King, he will give himself to save his people and to bring in the fullness of his kingdom. We expect the apostles to beg Jesus not to go through with such a plan of self-sacrifice. Surely they would instead offer themselves in sacrifice for God's purposes. Yet no such selfless objections or offers arise. The response of the disciples to Jesus' announcement of his sacrifice to bring in his kingdom is not heart-rending gratitude, but a dispute.

2:14First about who will betray Jesus, and then about who will be greatest in the kingdom established by Christ's suffering. The scene is similar to, though much sadder than, that of teenage children whose mom has fainted from the exhaustion of caring for them, arguing first about which of them loves their mother more, and then arguing about who gets to drive the car to the hospital. Luke uses the irony of the apostles' insensitive dispute about their future prospects to underscore Christ's sacrifice and what should be the priorities of all who would live according to his kingdom's purposes. In contrast to our tendency to put ourselves first and live for our own priorities, the gospel calls us to put others first, as did Jesus. The difficulty of living according to such selfless priorities is emphasized by the fact that this same dispute about who will be greatest among them has arisen before in Luke's gospel.

3:21The sinful repetition of the apostles' concern for self-promotion should remind us that freedom from selfish living requires a heart transformation that only the gospel provides. A greater love for Christ and his priorities displaces love for ourselves as the magnitude of his selfless sacrifice for us touches and transforms our hearts.