Greatness. Who comes to mind when you hear this word? To some, this word brings thoughts of a great athlete. To others, it brings to mind a great military commander or world leader of the past. To others, it brings to mind an artist or a musician. But who is truly great, what does greatness mean and how can one become great?
We see Jesus’ disciples wrestling with these same questions. In Mark 10:35-45 we find this story. James and John, two of Jesus’ closest followers came to Jesus with a special request.
“Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And Jesus said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”
What are they saying here? We want to be great. We want the place of honor and glory. We want to be associated with you in such a way that we are recognized and applauded. Just a few verses before Jesus had foretold his death for the third time and still, his disciples were pursuing their own agenda and prestige.
In response to this question we are told that the other ten disciples were indignant, but don’t think that the other ten were innocent. One chapter earlier Jesus had confronted all of them for arguing about who was the greatest. They all were in need of Jesus’ correction.
Taking this as a teachable moment Jesus called them all together and said this,
“You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
They all knew that the rulers of the world used power and dominance to get what they wanted. Rulers used others to reach their selfish goals of “greatness.” Jesus makes it clear to his followers that the kingdom of God works differently. Whoever would be great, whoever would live a life of significance, must not use others but serve them instead.
There were six words in the New Testament that could be translated servant. The one that Jesus used here means a simple waiter. One who humbles himself and takes care of others by meeting even the simplest of their needs. Jesus then added the word slave to his description of greatness. What a contradiction of terms. To be a servant was humbling enough but at least you still were your own person. To be a slave meant you had lost every right. You were someone else’s property. They had even the power of life and death over you.
There is an interesting fact from the first-century culture that helps us better understand this use of the word slavery. There was a term known as a “love slave.” It was a slave who had been granted his freedom but because of love had chosen to continue as a slave of his master and his master’s family. This type of servanthood or slavery falls more in line with Jesus’ teaching. God-honoring service cannot be forced on someone. True servanthood is a way of being and living that we willingly submit to and Christ works in our hearts.
Jesus then finished his teaching by saying anyone who would be great must be a servant and slave of “all.” We are not to just serve those who can somehow benefit us in return. We are not just to serve those who are loving towards us. We are not just to serve those who are of higher status or position than we are. We are to be servants of all. This is what it means to be great in the kingdom of God. Our willingness to serve them should not be based on who they are or what they need. It is to be based on the fact that our needs have been fully met in Christ so we are now free to meet the needs of others as the Holy Spirit leads.
This was Jesus’ way of life. He “did not come to be served but to serve.” In the same way that a ransom could be paid to free a slave, so Jesus served us by paying our ransom at the cross and buying our freedom from the slavery of sin and death.
Jesus’ idea of servanthood was made even more evident in the story that is found in the verses that followed.
It was the time of the year for the Jewish Passover. It was the custom that most Jews would make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem to observe these holy days. Even though it was the custom for many, not everyone was able to make the trip to Jerusalem. Those who couldn’t go to Jerusalem would line the streets of their city to cheer and bless those who were passing through as they traveled to Jerusalem.
This was the case in Jericho. Jesus and his followers were passing through Jericho, going to Jerusalem. The crowds were likely huge and the noise was probably almost unbearable. Scripture tells us of a blind beggar named Bartimaeus who was sitting by the side of the busy street. Blind beggars in that day would have been looked down upon and seen as cursed by God. The belief was that if you were poor or handicapped then God must be unhappy with you and that could only be because you have sinned.
Mark 10:47 says, “And when he (Bartimaeus) heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out.” This word used for “cry out” was also used in the New Testament for an insane, demon-possessed man and a mother giving birth. This was not a gentle, measured calling out to Jesus. It was a desperate, out-of-control shouting or even screaming to get Jesus’ attention. He must have truly made a scene, but we must pay attention to what he was shouting. “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!” He was proclaiming the truth that Jesus was the Messiah and that he (Bartimaeus) was desperately in need of mercy.
The people near the blind beggar rebuked him, telling him to be quiet but he cried out even more. In response, Jesus said, “Call him.” Scripture then records that the man threw off his cloak and jumped up and came to Jesus. Oh, that we would desperately run to Jesus in this manner with our needs and struggles.
Jesus then asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” It was the same exact question he had asked James and John in the previous story. How can I serve you? James and John had come with self-righteous hearts pursuing glory. This blind beggar came with utter humility crying out for mercy. What a difference.
This is truly a picture of service. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, the King of kings and Lord of lords, was taking the place of a servant before this blind beggar who would have been considered amongst the lowest of the low in his society.
In response to Jesus’ question, the blind beggar says, “Let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.”
There is more than just physical healing here. The Greek word used for “made you well” in this case was the same word that is traditionally used for salvation. Jesus had truly served Bartimaeus and brought both physical and spiritual healing. In response, Bartimaeus followed him.
Jesus then continued on towards Jerusalem. When he drew near he instructed a couple of his disciples to bring him a donkey that had never been ridden. The story is recounted with these words,”
“And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”
The story describes Jesus riding down from the Mount of Olives, through the Kidron Valley, and entering the city of Jerusalem. Jews, by the thousands, had assembled in Jerusalem for the celebration of the upcoming Passover. As Jesus approached the city cheers went up and people began to come out and meet Him, praising Him as the promised Messiah. He rode on a donkey and the people laid down their cloaks on the road before Him and waved Palm branches in His honor.
A key detail of the story was the type of animal on which Jesus was riding. A conquering king would enter a city riding a horse. A king coming in peace would ride a donkey. Jesus had not come to be an earthly, military king who would free the Jews from Rome. He came in peace, compassion, and humility to serve. Jesus was following the prophecy as seen in Zechariah 9:9 that had been written 500 years before.
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Jesus had come as a servant as described in Isaiah 53. It was just one more example of the truth that if one would be great he must serve.
This was another message to the people who were there that day. Yes, Jesus was coming to be King of the Jews, but not in the way that they desired. He was coming to save them from so much more than the Romans. He came for something greater. He came to free each man, woman, boy, and girl from themselves, the slavery of sin, and an eternity separated from God. Not a salvation from the Romans in the present but a freedom from sin and judgment for all eternity. He came truly as a compassionate servant King.
As a side note, there will be a day that Jesus comes riding on a horse. We see it described in Revelation 19. Heaven will open and He will come on a white horse as our conquering King of kings and Lord of lords. Hasten the day.
Each of us has been called to be a servant like Christ. Only Christ can grant us a servant’s heart. We must draw near to him. As our needs are met in Christ we no longer have to be consumed with selfish concerns. We no longer have to use others to “meet our needs.” We are free to serve others.
We are not saying that service is just a more Christian way to be successful or get what you want. Choosing the way of service may lose you the promotion or the victory. You may not be able to reach your worldly goals with this technique, but if you desire a life of true significance then this is the way to go about it.
To selflessly serve others will demand preparation. We must position ourselves to be ready and able to serve others. We must order our finances so we are able to give to others in need. We must be healthy spiritually so we can minister to others as the Spirit leads. We must be well emotionally so that we help others even in the midst of their pain and suffering. We must be well physically so that we can have the strength and stamina to bear the burdens of others. We must order our time so that we can be free to be with others when they need us most. We must pray for a servant’s heart but we also must position our lives so that we will be able to serve others.
This was the way of Jesus. Selfless. Sacrificial. Humble. Loving. Meeting the needs of others.
May we embrace the Road to Greatness and Serve others.
