- Key Verse
- The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (Matthew 23:11–12 NLT-SE)
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Central Truth
As Jesus scolds the leaders who are seeking positions and titles, He speaks of the Kingdom being upside down from their religious tutoring. "Getting ahead" in the coming Kingdom is wrapped up serving others, not position seeking.
Reflections
Jesus exposed the base desires of religious leaders who had been schooled in the art of getting ahead. They spoke publicly of faith and keeping the laws of Moses. However, in their striving to keep the letter of the law, they had missed the heart of the law.Perhaps they had forgotten the words of Ezekiel, "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Take off your jeweled crown, for the old order changes. Now the lowly will be exalted, and the mighty will be brought down.'" (Ezekiel 21:26 NLT-SE) This proclamation against the wicked Zedekiah looked prophetically to the only One who would be worthy to wear the crown--the Messiah. It was also was referring to the high priest's turban which Judah had forfeited. These symbols of power and authority were being replaced by the greatest Servant of all time.
To the onlookers who were being held captive by these arrogant leaders, Jesus gave a glimpse of the coming Kingdom. The new Kingdom would be devoid of those who are demanding and seeking honor. This Kingdom's Leader would be honored as a result of His humility and serving.
Today, we are reminded that motives have not changed much in 2000 years. We may not face men in holy garb who Lord over us but we face people both within and outside of religious circles that--to put it politely--are "ambitious." Our culture applauds ambition and elevates those who have a will to win. Unfortunately, we are prone to fall into this trap as well.
Followers of Jesus are faced with the dilemma of seeking man's applause or God's approval. Jesus set the pace for us to dismiss the old order of ambition and embrace the new order--humility and servant-hood. Ultimately, we choose humility or by our actions we will "be" humbled.
Discussion Questions
1. Where am I the most apt to seek title and position?2. How much of my conversations and thoughts center around myself?
3. Who can I show the love of Jesus to through serving them?
4. If I took Jesus seriously in this matter, how different would it make my family relationships?
Comments
The views expressed under “Comments” are solely
those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Trinity Assembly.
Nancy Bryant
February 2, 2010 10:56 AM
These are pretty powerful words Jesus uses to expose hyprocrisy. We must look inward to expose hyprocrisy in our own lives. Sometimes we value impressing our Christian friends more than honestly confessing to the one it really matters--Jesus. Lord, Jesus, help us to be honest with ourselves, confess our sins and ask to lead honest, humble lives. Thanks for the reminder to be servants and act humbly.