A Study of the Book of Luke
Sermon # 61
The Pathway to Greatness
Luke 22:23-27
“There was an uninvited guest at the meal, In fact, this guest is never invited (but often present). No one wants him around. Yet, he is so subtle, often no one knows he is present until he had done his damage. He is good at stirring up trouble. He has a knack for starting arguments. Sometimes the arguments lead to fights and the fights to war. Needless to say, when he enters a room, people will get hurt.
Of all places for him to be present, there he was in the upper room with Jesus and the disciples. You would think that he couldn’t even enter the room. But he did and he did what he does best. He took the words of Jesus and used them to get the disciples to begin to focus on themeselves. Who is the uninvited guest who crashed Jesus’s dinner party? Who is this uninvited guest who appeared at the church in Corinth? Who is this uninvited guest who has intruded into the life of countless congregations… The uninvited guest is named Division, a servant of Satan.” [Jeff Armbrester. “The Uninvited Guest” Sermon on Luke 22:14-30.]
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Some time Thursday morning or afternoon Jesus sent Peter and John to prepare for the Passover meal (22:8). Many believe that Jesus did not specify the location of the meal ahead of time so that Judas could not inform the enemies of the Lord where he and the disciples would be. Jesus wanted this last meal to be uninterrupted.
Jesus has just predicted his betrayal and has identified the perpetrator as one of the twelve. In verse twenty-three we read, “Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing. (24) Now there was also a dispute (philoneikia – literally loving strife) among them as to which of them should be considered the greatest.”
Perhaps the argument grew out of their speculations over who would be the one to betray Him or there may have been jealousy over the way they had been seated at the table. They indeed may have argued over which of them was capable of betraying the Lord. Deep down, they knew that each one of them was capable of such a betrayal. But when you are unhappy it doesn’t take much to get an argument started. The argument spread from who was the worst among them to who was the best among them.
Here we are at the scene of Jesus has revealed that he was facing death and even during the emotional Last Supper the disciples argued on who was the greatest. It would seem that the disciples are more interested in their own greatness than they are to identify who the traitor among them is. Instead of assuring the Jesus of their loyalty and their deep concern for the suffering that lay ahead of him, the disciples began to argue. Their argument broke the unity that Jesus spoke of only minutes before when he instituted the Lord’s supper.
The strange thing is that there is more argument and division over inconsequential matters, and more concern about recognition in the church than anywhere else. No congregation is immune. Division over the style of worship, division over the songs that are sung, division over who has the authority, division over what translation of the Bible you read, division over how the money is spent. The truth is that we will argue over almost anything in the church; from the color of the carpet to where to hang the clock. But the biggest and ugliest struggles are still over power and authority.
So what do we do about division among us? Let’s turn to the scripture to see what Jesus did and said. Jesus now shares with us three principles for achieving Greatness.
Achieving True Greatness Must Be Based On Understanding the Real Standard of Greatness.
Note with me two crucial differences in the determining Greatness. First, He says that greatness is Different than How the Unbelieving World behaves. Jesus began by contrasting Christian greatness with the world’s concept of greatness in verses twenty-five, “And He said to them, ’The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’”
Jesus said that in the world greatness is determined by how many people you exercise control over. Those who are leaders like to exercise power over people while at the same time boasting that they are caring for the interest of the ordinary citizen.
Jesus does not argue that some people achieve a higher degree of greatness or recognition that others. Everyone is not equal when it comes to talents and abilities or opportunities. The issue here is not whether some believers are greater than others, but how that believer uses that greatness.
Jesus says that you must make a choice. Will you accept the world’s method of honoring greatness? Or will you follow the Lord’s example of being a servant? In verse twenty-six Jesus points out, “But not so among you; [But you (are) not (to do) so] on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.” Rather firmly Jesus commands “But you are not to act as they do.”
“Ten years ago, Richard Foster, in his book Celebration of Discipline, put together a brief comparison of the characteristics of service that is focused more upon self and service that is focused upon Christ. In paraphrased form, it becomes a self-help test worth taking. Why not measure your clarity of vision against his conclusions?
Self-focused service is concerned with impressive gains. It enjoys serving when the service is titanic or growing in that direction.
Christ-focused service doesn’t distinguish between small and large. It indiscriminately welcomes all opportunities to serve.
Self-focused service requires external reward, appreciation, and applause.
Christ-focused service rests content in hiddenness. The divine nod of approval is sufficient.
Self-focused service is highly concerned about results. It becomes disillusioned when results fall below expectations.
Christ-focused service is free of the need to calculate results; it delights only in service.
Self-focused service is affected by feelings.
Christ-focused service ministers simply and faithfully because there is a need. The service disciplines the feelings.
Self-focused service insists on meeting the need; it demands the opportunity to help.
Christ-focused service listens with tenderness and patience. It can serve by waiting in silence.
This list offers a way to begin refocusing our blurred image of Christ in the midst of ministry.
[Paul D. Robbins, Leadership, 1988, p. 146]
Secondly, He says True Greatness is Demonstrated in the way He lived His life. Jesus now tells us in verse twenty-seven, “For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.”
Christ has set the example, as he himself displayed when he played the slave’s part and washed the disciples’ feet.
Achieving True Greatness Must Be Based On Understanding the Real Standard of Greatness And ….
Achieving True Greatness Begins with a Servant’s Heart. (John 13:12-17)
It is at this point in my sanctified imagination that I see Jesus washing the disciple’s feet as an example. Would you turn with me to John 13:12-17, “So when he had washed their feet, taken His garments and sat down again, He said to them, ‘Do you know what I have down to you?” (13) You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. (14) If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. (15) For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. (16) Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who sent greater than he who sent him. (17) If you know these things blessed are you if you do them.”
A businessman once asked his Bible study group, “How can you tell if you have a servant attitude?” “By the way you react when you are treated like one,” was the reply.
It’s not easy to find an attitude like that. But
for a disciple, servant-hood is one of the keys to growing in Christlikeness. Describing His own ministry, Jesus said: “For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).When we give Jesus Christ His rightful place as Lord of our lives, His Lordship will be expressed in the way we serve others. Therefore, one of the best ways we can demonstrate our love for God is by showing love for our fellow man. We demonstrate love for others by helping them, by sharing their problems, and by doing what we can for them. In 2 Corinthians 4:5 Paul says, “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.”
Another way of displaying servanthood is in evangelism. In I Corinthians 9:19, Paul says, “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all....” Why does he say that? “...that I might win the more,” he continues. Paul knew that he would win more friends by being a servant. Although he was free from all men, he voluntarily decided to serve those he wanted to influence for Jesus Christ. If you were to take a look at Acts 27:14-28:10 you would see Paul under arrest, traveling under Roman guard. The passage describes the day when the veteran missionary was shipwrecked on the island of Malta—a very cold day.
There in Acts 28:3, the Holy Spirit takes care to say that “Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks....” The Apostle Paul went out and gathered firewood. He did his part. He wasn’t going to wait for the others to do it. Servanthood then, is an attitude. It is also the mark of a leader. Think of Jesus Christ in Philippians 2:6,7 “...so, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant.”
Why should we serve? For Jesus’ sake. Pick up a bundle of sticks...for Jesus’ sake. Look for ways to help others...for Jesus’ sake. Be liberal with your time and ideas...for Jesus’ sake. Serve one another...for Jesus’ sake.” What are you doing for Jesus’ sake.
[Lorne Sanny, Daily Walk, April 1982, www.bible.org/illus/s/s-77]
Achieving True Greatness Begins with a Servant’s Heart And …
Achieving True Greatness is Found in a Life of Service.
I read of a wonderful example from the life of the great evangelist D.L. Moody. It seems that a “ large group of European pastors came to one of D. L. Moody’s Northfield Bible Conferences in Massachusetts in the late 1800s. Following the European custom of the time, each guest put his shoes outside his room to be cleaned by the hall servants overnight. But of course this was America and there were no hall servants.
Walking the dormitory halls that night, Moody saw the shoes and determined not to embarrass his brothers. He mentioned the need to some ministerial students who were there, but met with only silence or pious excuses. Moody returned to the dorm, gathered up the shoes, and, alone in his room, the world’s famous evangelist began to clean and polish the shoes. Only the unexpected arrival of a friend in the midst of the work revealed the secret.
When the foreign visitors opened their doors the next morning, their shoes were shined. They never know by whom. Moody told no one, but his friend told a few people, and during the rest of the conference, different men volunteered to shine the shoes in secret. Perhaps the episode is a vital insight into why God used D. L. Moody as He did. He was a man with a servant’s heart and that was the basis of his true greatness. [Gary Inrig. A Call to Excellence. (Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books, 1985), p. 98]
We are called to serve – so in closing let me advise you that -
People are illogical, unreasonable and self-centered. - Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. - Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.- Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. - Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.- Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men with the smallest minds.- Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs, but follow only top dogs. - Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.- Build anyway.
People really need help, but may attack you if you do help them.- Help them anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.- Give the world the best you have anyway.
[John R. W. Stott, The Preacher’s Portrait: Some New Testament Word Studies, (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publ. Co., 1961), pp. 100ff]
