The Greatest Sermon Ever Preached
Matthew 20:20-34
January 5, 2002
If there is one word in the English language that is sure to cause a debate when spoken, that word is “greatest.” In fact, take two people, any people, and you can always stir trouble by using this simple word. For example, ask a Duke fan and a Carolina fan who’s the greatest basketball coach of all time, and
they will debate one another for hours. Ask an Eastern North Carolinian and a Western North Carolinian who has the greatest barbeque, and watch the sparks fly. Ask two mechanics what is the greatest car ever made and they will eagerly debate their opinion. Ask two people who the greatest president or the greatest politician was, and they’ll chase that rabbit as long as they have breath to do so. Ask parents what is the greatest school? Ask observers who has the greatest children? Ask friends what is the greatest movie ever made? Ask soldiers who was the greatest general or commander? There is something about that word “greatest” that stirs something inside of us.
Why? Because greatness is something we aspire to. Greatness is something we care about. We want greatness to describe our performance, our work, our families, our schools and even our churches.
Jesus said in Matthew five that there would be those genuinely saved people who would be called the least in the kingdom of heaven and others who would be called “great” in the kingdom of heaven. What’s the difference? How can we tell them apart? How do we define what greatness is? How can we aspire to greatness on a spiritual level? What do we mean when
we talk about greatness?
I believe that Jesus gave us the supreme example of what greatness is in the eyes of God in our passage today. It seems the disciples had a few lessons to learn about what it truly meant to be “great.” In fact, Jesus taught them three
lessons about greatness that we must know in order to achieve greatness in life. I want us to look at those this morning. First, I want us to see that true greatness in God’s eyes is ...
1) HINDERED by PRIDE.
As Jesus was nearing the cross, he was approached by the mother of James and John, Salome. She came to Jesus and knelt down. On the outside, she seemed sincere, but Jesus saw right through it. She really came to ask Jesus for a favor. She worshipped him not for love of the Savior or gratitude for His
blessings, but because of what she thought she could get from him. Unfortunately, there are still many today who come to Jesus for that very same purpose.
I bet she was one of those people who had an innate ability to make people mad. She knew just the words to use to “ruffle people’s feathers.” Salome was the sister of Mary which would have meant that James and John were first cousins of Jesus. So Salome came to Jesus with a special request. In verse twenty-one she asked, “Grant that one of my children may sit on your right hand and the other on your left in your kingdom.”
Her request reflected what she believed about greatness. Perhaps Salome thought that her boys were the “greatest” because of the prestigious family to which they belonged. As if somehow the blood that was running through their veins made them a little better than everybody else. To her, greatness meant having power and authority. Greatness meant getting all you
can for yourself. Her definition was rooted in self centeredness. It wasn’t enough to her that her boys were following Jesus or serving Jesus. That had to have people under them. What she did not know was that God does not measure greatness the way men do!
Years ago, a new building was being constructed at Harvard University that would house the Philosophy Department. The president of Harvard decided to place a stone lintel above the main entrance to this building with an inscription. So he asked one of the professors what he should write on that inscription. After much thought, the professor
borrowed a phrase from a Greek philosopher. “Man is the
measure of all things.” Man is the measure of all things! In other words, greatness, to this professor, happens when we place ourselves at the very center of life. The president thought about his suggestion. Some months passed and the new building was completed. This professor walked by one day to see if his quote
was written upon the lintel. Instead, the president decided that the quote that people would read as they entered the philosophy department would be a quote from the Word of God. The inscription read, “What is man that Thou art mindful of him?” The president understood something about greatness that this
professor could not grasp.
Jesus replied to her request in verse twenty-two by saying, “You don’t know what you are asking.” You see, there is a price involved in greatness, one they knew little about. When it comes to greatness, the way up is down. The way over is under. You do not ascend to greatness. You descend to greatness. Greatness is not exalting yourself, it is humbling
yourself. It is not lifting yourself up, your wants, your needs, your desires, your opinions... it is lifting up our Lord and the body of Christ. Jesus said that there was not a greater prophet born than John the Baptist. When his disciples complained that
his followers were leaving him to follow Jesus he replied, “He must increase. I must decrease.” That is greatness.
If greatness means we relinquish self centeredness, we have to ask ourselves some difficult questions. Have I neglected to seek God’s will and purpose for my life or for my church by being too occupied with my own dreams and ambition? Have I
been as concerned for the well being of my brother or sister in Christ as I have for my own personal needs? Have I cared more about the spread of the gospel than the spread of my personal wealth? Am I more concerned about the name of Christ than my own reputation? It is when we let go of our self centered thinking that we begin to find out what greatness is all about. It
is when we sincerely ask God to make us mindful of His will and His plan instead of our own, that we begin to adopt God’s definition of greatness.
Not only do we see that true greatness is hindered by pride, but also greatness is...
2) CHACTERIZED by SERVICE
Something almost comical took place after Salome made her request. The other ten disciples heard it and they “were indignant” with the two brothers. I can’t blame them. Here Jesus is heading to Calvary, and they are volleying for personal positions. But it isn’t like they hadn’t also been fighting over whom among them would be called the greatest among the disciples. They were all guilty.
I’m reminded of a newlywed couple who were given a homemade cherry pie by another couple in their church. The husband couldn’t wait to come home and take a bite. But his wife had decided to take the pie with her to work. She shared it with her co-workers. Every piece was gone. When the husband came home and found out what his wife had done, he said, “I’ll
have you know what you did was greedy, selfish, rude and inconsiderate. But do you know what really makes me mad” he added? “What” she bounced back. He said, “I didn’t think of it first!” Do you know why these disciples were truly mad at James and John? They were mad because they didn’t think of it first! They were kicking themselves! If you want to ask Jesus
for a special favor, of course, send your mother!
Before things got too out of hand, Jesus gathered the disciples together and decided it was time to teach them a little lesson. What he taught them was, in my opinion, the greatest sermon he ever preached. He taught them in verse twenty-five, “You know that the rulers of the gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - 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.”
It sounds like their world was similar to ours. Jesus pointed out that according to the world, greatness is exercising authority. It means being in power. It means having people under you. To this world, greatness is an office with a view. It
means having a team of secretaries who answer your every call. It means dozens or hundreds of people who do what you say, cling to every decision you make and inwardly wish to be where you are. It means having the biggest house and the fastest car and the smartest kids in the best schools and every advantage
that life has to offer. This world says greatness means doing whatever you have to do, to whoever you have to do it to, in order to get to the top and stay on the top.
Unfortunately, I must confess that many pastors enter the ministry because they believe that being a pastor will give them this kind of authority and greatness in life. So they have to climb the ecclesiastical ladder, always seeking the bigger pulpit
and the bigger salary. It doesn’t stop there. Congregations fall for this false definition of greatness, thinking that their church has to have the “greatest” buildings and the “greatest” programs
and the “greatest” music and the “greatest” preaching and the “greatest” crowd. Carnal and immature Christians will flock to whatever they deem is the “greatest” church because they want to feel like they are a part of something great! They want to be
able to brag that they are a member of this church or that. But they are missing the entire point of what true greatness is about.
But do you know what the problem is with this kind of greatness? It does not last. Someone else will eventually get the job and inherit the money and take over the business and steal the respect that used to belong to you. And even when you think you have met this world’s definition of greatness, it will
never be enough. There will always be another accomplishment to obtain, more money to make and more trophies to place in your cabinet.
Jesus used two words to tell us what true greatness is really about. First he said in verse twenty-six that whoever wants to be great must first be a “servant.” Did you know that the word here in the Greek is the same word that translates “deacon”. A deacon is one who serves. The world says that
greatness is found in being served. God says that those who will be called great for all eternity will be those who serve others.
In verse twenty-seven he uses another key word. He says whoever will be first must become a “slave.” That Greek word is “doulos” and it means a person whose sole interest is the will of the master. Greatness for the Christian is when our first interest becomes subservient to God’s only interest. Greatness is measured by obedience and love and giving and
sacrifice and service for God and for others.
So we see that the best example of true greatness is found in the cross. Jesus said the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. A ransom is the price paid for the freedom of one held captive. That’s what took place when Jesus died on the cross. You and I
were held captive to sin. The ransom had to be paid in order for us to go free. That ransom required every drop of blood Jesus had. And He paid that price for you and for me.
Some of us probably need to go home and seriously evaluate how we have defined greatness in our own lives. True greatness is hindered by pride, characterized by service, and...
3) PRACTICED by GIVING
In other words, when we emphasize giving over getting and serving over being served, we become great in the eyes of God. It is this “open handed” willingness to help those in need that Jesus wanted to teach his disciples. Jesus knew well that the best sermon in all of life is the living sermon. In verse
twenty-nine, Jesus put into practice what he had just taught. I can imagine Jesus and his disciples walking down that Jericho road we talked about last Sunday. Jesus is talking about servanthood and greatness. Even as he is teaching them the wonderful truth of verse twenty-six and twenty-seven, you can hear distant crying. Two men are desperately calling Jesus’
name. They are pleading with him. They call out in verse thirty-one, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
No one would have noticed had Jesus paid them no mind. In fact, they would have preferred that he simply look the other way and pretend they were not there. To the disciples, these men were a nuisance to be avoided. But not to Jesus.
These men may have been blind physically, but I think they had some spiritual sight that others did not have. It was for mercy that they begged. A man convicted of a heinous crime before a righteous judge does not demand his rights, he pleads for mercy. That is exactly what these two men did. I like what
Matthew says in verse thirty-two. “Jesus stood still.” Jesus was on his way to Calvary. Nothing could stop him or turn him away. But when two men cried for mercy, Jesus stood still. Even today, whenever sinners ask for mercy, Jesus stands still. The angels stand still. All heaven stands still...and waits.
Jesus wanted to show his disciples that true greatness is not about getting but about giving. What better way to do so than to stop and give these two the gift of sight? Verse thirty-four says that Jesus took his open hands and touched their eyes and healed them. He didn’t have to touch them. Other times he healed the blind without doing so. But this time he
wanted the disciples to see that touching hurting people was a part of what true greatness is about. It means we give of ourselves, that God might use us to touch a world lost and dying without Jesus Christ.
I read this past week the story of the very first Baptist missionary to China. In September 1835, Mr. John Lewis Shuck was attending his church when they had a special offering to support foreign missions, much like we are doing right now.
God spoke to Shuck and revealed to him that He wanted him to serve as a missionary to the people of China. So as the offering for foreign missions was being collected that day, he scribbled a brief message on a piece of paper. While others were giving dollar bills and coins, he dropped that piece of paper in the
collection plate as it was passed by. After the service while the money was being counted, a note was discovered that simply read, “Myself. John Lewis Shuck.”
That is the offering that God is asking for from every one of us. He wants us to give “ourselves.” He wants your heart, your soul your life. He will not take it by force. It must be given freely. That is where we must decide. It is when we give ourselves that we experience what greatness is truly about.
Perhaps you need to admit to God today that in a vain attempt to be great by this world’s standards, you’ve failed to see what greatness is all about. Maybe you simply need to say, “God, take all of my weak accomplishments, take all of my fancy titles and take all of my worldly honors and make me great in your kingdom.” That is when your life becomes the
greatest sermon ever preached.
