Want to be the greatest?

And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” ³⁴ But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. ³⁵ And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” Mark 9

What does it look like to be last and servant of all?  We think we know what it means to be the greatest.  Power, prestige, money and influence are examples of being the greatest.  Paul said it is to think more highly of yourself than others.  Or another expression – not considering others as more important than yourself would be showing pride.

However, just being poor monetarily, or being in a place of extreme need is not the definition of being last that Jesus is referring to.   At the core of the problem is we all have a sense of entitlement.  Jesus wants us to learn that a true sense of fulfillment is in giving and not getting.  When we begin to see the joy in serving others, preferring them as more important, or decreasing that they may increase we are beginning to learn about serving.

I was on a work mission trip in which we were helping build a new house after one had been destroyed in a flood.  Mostly men were doing the work and one teenager was helping.  He played much more than he helped.  I had was one of the lead carpenters on the job.  We were finished with framing the house.  We had one more nail to put in.  Then the teenager came to life and wanted to be the person to put the last nail in the wood.  Boy, did I ever think that I deserved that last hit.  My sweat and blisters agreed that I should take that last photo op.  He had not worked that hard was my thought.  But then, I knew that he should take the last swing.  The joy that he expressed was far more than I would ever have had. 

The point is not that I let him take the last swing…but rather the struggle that I had with my sense of entitlement.  Why did I feel like I deserved to be the one to finish the framing?  

Father, it is hard to want to be the last.  Help us to understand that our rewards come at the very end.  Help us to see people as you see them….lost and without a shepherd.  Thank you for allowing us to serve others in your behalf.  Help us to experience the true joy of serving.