Jesus said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). That was His personal mission statement. If I’m to be a follower of Christ, what marked His life should mark mine. My personal mission statement ought to be “serving and giving.” The opposite of that, of course, is to be served and to receive. I can live a life with a passion to be served and to receive, or I can live with a passion to give and serve.
Hold your hands in front of you. Clench one of your hands into a fist and leave the other open. This is the choice being a follower of Christ.
• Am I going to live with a clenched fist expecting others to serve me?
• Or am I going to live with an open hand, giving and serving?
The Big Idea: In the world, greatness is determined by how many people SERVE YOU; but, in God’s kingdom, greatness is determined by how many people YOU SERVE.
Matthew 20:20-28
I. Why Most People Don’t Achieve True Greatness
Two reasons why people don’t achieve true greatness:
A. SELFISHNESS
“Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons [James and John] and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. ‘What is it you want?’ he asked. She said, ‘Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom’” (vv. 20-21).
In Mark’s Gospel (10:35-36) James and John ask the favor. Perhaps they asked their mother to make the request for them.
James and John’s view of following Jesus was not, “How can I serve Jesus?” but “What can Jesus do for me?”
A toddler’s favorite word is “mine.”
It was President John F. Kennedy who said, “Ask now what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” But who do we vote for? The candidate who can do the best job for me.
Tertullian: “He who lives only to benefit himself confers on the world a benefit when he dies.”
Three factors may have contributed to their attitude:
• It’s possible that they were related to Jesus. Their mother may have been Salome the sister of Mary (compare Mark 15:40 and John 19:25), which would make James and John the cousins of Jesus.
• They, along with Peter, were Jesus’ closest friends among the twelve disciples.
• They may have come from an upper class family. Mark 1:20 reveals that their father Zebedee owned his own fishing business. There were few fishing families in Galilee with the wealth to actually hire people to fish for them.
It seems that they had a problem with pride.
“‘You don’t know what you are asking,’ Jesus said to them. ‘Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?’ ‘We can,’ they answered. Jesus said to them, ‘You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father’” (vv. 22-23).
Jesus addressed the brothers directly (“you” is plural in the Greek).
The “cup” refers to suffering. Jesus had just predicted that He would soon suffer by being “flogged and crucified” (Matthew 20:18-19).
Jesus foretold that James and John would indeed drink from the cup of suffering:
• James would become the first martyr of the church (Acts 12:2).
• John experienced persecution and exile (Revelation 1:9).
James and John were willing to suffer (“we can”). But they assumed that their suffering would lead to earthly power and glory.
Their request was likely inspired by a comment made earlier by Jesus: “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28).
James and John thought that Jesus was going to soon establish an earthly political kingdom. They wanted to be Number 1 and Number 2 in that kingdom.
“When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers” (v. 24).
The disciples often argued among themselves about which of them was the greatest. This wasn’t righteous indignation. Perhaps they were worried that James and John might have the upper hand in the quest to be number one.
B. MISUNDERSTANDING
“Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you’” (vv. 25-26a).
1. Greatness is not WEALTH.
2. Greatness is not FAME.
3. Greatness is not POWER.
II. How We Can Achieve True Greatness
A. SERVE others.
“‘Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave’” (vv. 26b-27).
A “servant” (diakonos) was hired to maintain another person’s home and property. A “slave” (doulos) was forced into service. These were the two lowest positions in society. Yet Jesus said that to be a servant and a slave was to be “great” and “first.”
John would later describe himself as a “servant” of Jesus (Revelation 1:1).
The world’s thinking: You rise to greatness; Jesus’ teaching: You descend to greatness.
Greatness is not a matter of authority and control but of humility and service.
B. Live like JESUS did.
“‘Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many’” (v. 28).
A “ransom” means “the price of release,” a word that was often used for the money paid for the release of a slave.
The ultimate example of service was Jesus giving His life for us.
We often say, “No pain, no gain.” We understand that we must sacrifice present pleasure for personal gain. Jesus had a different saying, “My pain, other’s gain.”
A sculptor once fashioned a magnificent lion out of solid stone. When asked how he had accomplished such a wonderful masterpiece, he replied, “It was easy. All I did was to chip away everything that didn’t look like a lion.” We must chip away our selfishness if we are going to look like Christ. (Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations & Quotes, p. 103).
Basin Attitude
Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s, once appeared on the cover of their annual report dressed in a knee-length work apron, holding a mop and a plastic bucket. Here’s how he described that picture: “I got my M.B.A. long before my G.E.D. At Wendy’s M.B.A. does not mean Master of Business Administration. It means Mop Bucket Attitude.”
• Pilate’s Basin Attitude: See a need but do what’s best for ME.
“When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood,’ he said. ‘It is your responsibility!’” (Matthew 27:24).
• Jesus’ Basin Attitude: See a need and do what’s best for OTHERS.
“He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him” (John 13:4-5).
There’s a clever young guy named Somebody Else,
There’s nothing this guy cannot do.
He is busy from morning till way late at night,
Just substituting for you.
You’re asked to do this or you’re asked to do that
And what is your reply?
Get Somebody Else to do that job,
He’ll do it much better than I.
So much to do in this weary old world
So much and workers so few,
And Somebody Else, all weary and worn,
Is still substituting for you.
Are you content to let Somebody Else serve?
Personal Application
What is your motivation?
What is the need in front of you?
• Church
• Home
• Community
What do you have to give?
Conclusion
Am I living my life expecting others to serve me? My spouse? My children? The people at work? Or do I view those around me as opportunities to serve both Christ and others? Am I close-fisted or open-handed? What is the passion of your life. Receiving or giving? Let’s follow the example that Christ set for us. Let’s serve one another.
THE UPSIDE DOWN WAY OF GOD
Part 1: Servanthood Is Greatness
Matthew 20:20-28
The Big Idea: In the world, greatness is determined by how many people ____________________; but, in God’s kingdom, greatness is determined by how many people ____________________.
I. Why Most People Don’t Achieve True Greatness
A. ________________________
“Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons [James and John] and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. ‘What is it you want?’ he asked. She said, ‘Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom’” (vv. 20-21).
B. ________________________
“Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you’” (vv. 25-26a).
1. Greatness is not ___________________.
2. Greatness is not ___________________.
3. Greatness is not ___________________.
II. How We Can Achieve True Greatness
A. ___________________ others.
“‘Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave’” (vv. 26b-27).
The world’s thinking: You rise to greatness; Jesus’ teaching: You descend to greatness.
B. Live like __________________ did.
“‘Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many’” (v. 28).
Personal Application
• What is your motivation?
• What is the need in front of you?
What do you have to give?
