NEED: a stepladder, towel
We live in a world obsessed with greatness.
Everywhere we look, the message is the same:
Aim higher. Climb further. Achieve more. Be someone.
If you ask our culture what greatness looks like, the answers come quickly
— success, influence, recognition, achievement, promotion, visibility.
Greatness is
• climbing the ladder,
• being admired,
• having followers,
• being noticed.
And whether we like it or not, those messages seep into us.
Even as Christians, we can quietly begin to measure our lives the same way the world does.
Because deep down, most of us genuinely want to matter.
* We want to be significant.
* We want to make a difference with our lives.
And that desire itself isn’t wrong.
But in this passage in Mark 10, Jesus takes our understanding of greatness and turns it completely upside down.
1. The Disciples’ Request
James and John come to Jesus with what might be one of the boldest requests in the whole of Scripture:
“Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”
[p] Just pause and think about that for a moment.
Jesus has been walking with them, teaching them, showing them the way of the kingdom.
Moments earlier, He has spoken again — clearly — about
suffering, about betrayal, about His coming death.
And yet here they are, thinking about status, about position, about glory.
They’re thinking about seating arrangements in the kingdom, while Jesus is talking about the path to the cross.
However, before we judge them too harshly, we should recognise what’s going on inside them
— because it also goes on inside us.
They believe Jesus is King.
They want to be close to Him.
They want to be part of His work.
That’s not wrong.
The issue isn’t their desire for greatness;
the issue is how they define greatness.
They are still thinking the way the world thinks:
“If you want to be great, climb the ladder.”
2. Ladder or Towel?
Imagine having a stepladder on one hand… and a towel in the other.
The ladder represents the world’s way of greatness:
• Climb higher.
• Get ahead.
• Protect your position.
• Make sure you’re seen.
• Make sure your achievements shine.
The towel, on the other hand, represents the way of Jesus:
• Kneel lower.
• Serve quietly.
• Lift others up.
• Give instead of grab.
James and John are reaching for the ladder.
But Jesus—Jesus is holding out the towel.
3. “Not So With You.”
Jesus gathers the disciples together and says words that must have stopped them in their tracks
— not just them, but followers across the centuries:
“You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them…
Not so with you.”
Those four words are revolutionary. “Not so with you.”
* My kingdom is different.
* My people will be different.
* My definition of greatness is different.
In Jesus’ kingdom, greatness isn’t about climbing; it’s about descending.
It isn’t about authority but service.
It isn’t about being first but being willing to be last.
And then Jesus adds this extraordinary sentence:
“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”
Notice He doesn’t condemn the desire to be great.
Instead, He redirects it. “If you want to be great,” He says, “here’s how:- serve.”
The world says: Climb higher.
Jesus says: Kneel lower.
The world says: Assert your rights.
Jesus says: Lay them down.
The world says: Build your name.
Jesus says: Reflect Mine.
4. The Model: Verse 45
And then comes the heartbeat of the whole passage—one of the clearest statements of Jesus’ mission in the New Testament:
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
This changes everything. [hold towel]
Jesus doesn’t simply redefine greatness
—He embodies it.
He is the Son of Man,
the rightful King,
the One who holds all authority in heaven and on earth.
And yet He comes not demanding service, but offering it.
Not grasping for position, but giving His life.
His path of service leads all the way to the cross.
And the cross is not weakness.
It is the greatest act of servant love the world has ever known.
He gives His life as a ransom
— to rescue, restore, and redeem.
That is greatness.
Not domination — it’s self giving love.
5. The Hidden Greatness of Service
So what does this mean for us today?
Most of us will never have large platforms or impressive titles.
Most of us won’t be known beyond our local community.
But every single one of us has daily opportunities to serve.
Greatness in God’s kingdom often looks like ordinary, unseen faithfulness:
• Listening even when you’re tired.
• Forgiving when you’ve been hurt.
• Helping without being asked.
• Serving in ways no one applauds.
• Showing up week after week.
Often the kingdom of God moves forward through unnoticed acts of love:
• a mother caring for her child,
• a volunteer making tea,
• someone praying quietly for others,
• a church member who welcomes a new face with warmth.
These things don’t trend online.
But they matter eternally.
6. Why We Resist the Towel
But let’s be honest: the towel can feel costly.
Service can be inconvenient, humbling, unnoticed.
• We like appreciation.
• We like affirmation.
There are moments when a quiet thought slips into our minds:
“If I serve, who will see it? Who will value it?”
But that question reveals something deeper.
When our identity rests in being seen by others, we need the ladder. But
When our identity rests in being loved by Christ, the towel no longer feels like a burden—it becomes a joy.
Because we’re not serving to earn worth; we’re serving from security
Jesus –
• has already given us His love,
• already paid our ransom,
• already called us His own.
7. The Gospel Moment
At the heart of this passage is not a moral lesson about working harder at serving.
It’s the gospel!!
We are not saved because we serve well enough.
We are saved because Jesus served perfectly.
He gave His life for us.
And when we trust Him — truly trust Him — our hearts begin to shift.
• Ambition becomes surrendered.
• Pride softens.
• Comparison fades.
• We no longer climb to earn His approval;
• we kneel because we already have it.
For anyone who has never trusted Christ, this is where greatness truly begins —
* not in achieving, but in surrendering;
* not in earning, but in receiving.
He gave His life as a ransom for many—and that includes you.
8. The Challenge
So what does greatness look like in your life?
Are you climbing (ladder) — or are you serving (towel)?
This week, where might Jesus be inviting you to take up the towel?
• At home?
• At work?
• In church?
• In your neighbourhood?
It might not feel dramatic or impressive.
But it may be deeply Christlike.
And in the kingdom of God—that is greatness.
Because the ladder promises importance.
But the towel produces Christlikeness.
The ladder centres on self.
But the towel reflects the Saviour.
And the One who had every right to climb — chose instead to kneel.
May we follow Him.
Listen now to the song
SONG VIDEO: With a Towel in His Hands (on YouTube. search Highfield Community Baptist)
Prayer After the Sermon and Song
What Does Greatness Look Like?
We have heard this song: with a towel in Your hands —
the King who knelt,
the Saviour who served,
the Lord who gave His life for us.
Lord Jesus,
Forgive us for the times we’ve chased ladders instead of love, for seeking recognition more than obedience, and for measuring our worth by applause instead of faithfulness.
Thank You for showing us that true greatness is found - not in impressing others but in becoming more like You. Shape our hearts, Lord: where there is pride, plant humility; where there is self centred ambition, grow servant love; where we fear being unnoticed, remind us that we are fully seen by You.
Teach us to take up the towel this week—in our homes, our workplaces, our church family, and in quiet acts no one else may ever see. And as we serve, keep our eyes fixed on You, the Servant King who gave His life as a ransom for many.
May our greatness be found not in what we achieve but in how closely we follow You.
In Your name we pray, Amen.
