Matthew 20:20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.
21 And he said unto her, what wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.
22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, we are able.
24 And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.
25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.
28 Even as The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
It was the revealed will of God to make the nation of Israel great in the sight of the other nations, which in turn would bring honor to His name, while at the same time attracting the peoples of earth to the One and only true God.
And since God’s purposes for His people, the world over have not changed with the passage of time, we who live in the 21st century are gently reminded in the Bible of what it means to be great in the sight of heaven.
According to the Scriptures, true greatness consists of several components which when interfaced with each other, produces a person or a nation of sterling character.
Many of the things that are accounted as greatness in the world, are foolishness in the sight of God and Christians are cautioned to avoid conflating the two very different concepts in our minds, lest we come to wrong conclusions, and cultivate aspirations that are neither endorsed or recognized by The Lord.
According to worldly, and secular concepts, a great man, or a great nation is one that has tremendous wealth, one that wields unlimited, and apparently unchecked power, and one that has other people and nations in subservience.
This is what Nebuchadnezzar gloried in when all of a sudden, the voice from heaven announced the great change in his fortunes by which he was rendered on a level playing field with animal kingdom.
Napoleon, Hitler, and Alexander the great were all looked up to by their underlings as being great, and yet, the records show that their history leaves much to be desired. Great conquests were made by some, and nations were subjugated in other instances, but in the books of heaven, their achievements amount to minus zero.
That is because greatness apart from God amounts to nothingness, when contrasted with the wisdom that comes through God, by following the laws, and principles of His kingdom.
Conversely, whenever the revealed word of God is incorporated into the operations of any community, nation, family or individual, the inevitable results would be both spiritual, and temporal greatness.
It cannot be otherwise, for the gold standard comes from the Greatest of all kings, even The Lord of the universe, who not only delineates what greatness is, but also is the embodiment of all that is written as it pertains to being great. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 4:5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.
6 Keep therefore and do them because this is your Wisdom, and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
7 For what nation is there so great, who has God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for?
8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?
Hence the reason why the Bible warns us not to allow ourselves to be sucked into a vortex of secular, worldly-minded greatness but instead Christians are strongly advised to follow the gold standard as is set forth in Jesus Christ, who is our great Exemplar in all things.
In other words, individuals who might be rich and famous, but who do not have the fear of the Lord before their face, with Jesus in their hearts, those persons would be destitute of true greatness, until they conform to, and adopt the Biblical criterion. Let’s read:
1st Corinthians 3: 18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seems to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
The Scriptures then go on to define the specifics of true greatness, when applied in the real world, and when they are adopted by communities, individuals, families, and governments, as was God’s purpose for His people, they will produce the desired results because the gold standard comes from The Lord.
The following therefore are some characteristics or manifestations of true greatness, and it is the will of God that who the cap fits, let them wear it.
[1] True greatness begins with having the fear of the Lord before your face and adopted as a foundational working principle in all that we think say or do. Let’s read:
Proverbs 9: 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Proverbs 1: 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
In these two verses we see the beginning of wisdom and the beginning of knowledge. The reason why the two words are used is because wisdom is the correct, and prudent use of knowledge, therefore they are presented, and they are intended to be an inseparable whole.
Knowledge in the hands of a fool could be quite dangerous, and could bring nations and persons to the brink of extinction. Therefore, knowledge and wisdom are to be regarded as two peas in one pod.
[2] Greatness is also manifested by the control you exercise over your words. In other words, to speak and act impulsively, and to let loose a barrage of unbecoming words, if and when you become ticked off, shows great weakness, not greatness.
Proverbs 29: 20 Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.
Proverbs 17: 28 Even a fool when he holds his peace is accounted as wise, and he that shuts his mouth is esteemed a man of understanding.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 567] Physically, Samson was the strongest man upon the earth; but in self-control, integrity, and firmness, he was one of the weakest of men. Many mistake strong passions for a strong character, but the truth is that he who is mastered by his passions is a weak man. The real greatness of the man is measured by the power of the feelings that he controls, not by those that control him.
[3] Gentleness is a manifestation of greatness, and the opposite is true, for wherever there is unbridled cruelty being manifested, great weakness is also on display.
Psalms 18:35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath held me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
Bullies are not only cowards, they are also weak, as was manifested in the demise of Saddam Hussein, Bin laden and Hitler, who all went into hiding when hunted, instead of coming out, and bravely facing the music.
When they were relishing their moment of power, they took satanic delight in the use of brute force, and many persons were slain, and treated with the utmost cruelty, but that shows underlying weakness and fear.
It is worthy of note, that with all that satan has done on planet earth, with all the destruction, and brute force he has exercised over the centuries, someway, somehow, he much prefers to remain hidden from view.
Even when he’s scheduled to make live appearances just before Jesus comes, he will still wrap himself in the garbs of deception. In fact, one of his greatest fears is that of being disclosed, for it bothers him if he were to be found out.
This is the reason why he personally pushes theories which try to prove that he doesn’t exist. So yes, the bullies on your block, in your neighborhood, and in your schools are not only cowards, they suffer from inner fears, which they try to cover up with the use of force.
That was the case with king Saul, as he twice hurled a javelin at David, in his attempts to pin him to the wall. It was an inner fear of losing the kingdom that drove him to do as he did in so much that whenever the dark premonitions haunted him, he would lash out at anyone, even his own family. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 20:30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?
31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.
[4] True greatness is also manifested by being kind, and being a lover of the truth. One of the important underlying characteristics of sheep is that they love truth. That is the reason why they hear The Master’s voice when He speaks, because they love truth.
1st Corinthians 13:4 Charity suffers long, and is kind; charity envies not; charity vaunts not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth.
[5] True greatness is also manifested by the person being humble. Pride and haughtiness make a person look small, and there’s usually a great loss of respect and credibility in the eyes of the beholders. Let’s read:
Proverbs 16: 18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
19 Better it is to be of a humble spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud.
Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Isaiah 14: 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most-High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.
This leads us to our case study in greatness which is found in our opening passages. In that instance, the sons of Zebedee went privately to Jesus, behind the other disciples’ backs as it were, and they, with their mother, asked for the highest place in His kingdom, something that all of the disciples were secretly or openly cherishing.
When the news of what they had done came to the attention of the other ten disciples, it sparked bitter feelings of resentment, and deep animosity among them in so much that it threatened to shatter unity, and peace, which Jesus sought to establish within His own inner circle.
Judas in particular was incensed at the brazenness and bold-facedness of the request made by James and John, that they should have the gall to take it upon themselves by asking for the highest place in the kingdom, and worst yet, to do so secretly.
This then triggered a race to the top, because, even though James and John had harbored the desire of being first and greatest in the kingdom, the other 10 disciples also were cherishing the same sentiments, and now, the question spilled out into the open, as they vied and jostled for the highest place.
Of course, as it always will be with those who crave worldly greatness, the elimination process begins, for each one estimates himself as being superior or more worthy than the other, and so they begin to check off each other, one by one, as in the game of survivor.
And, in this frame of mind, they would be in danger of doing whatsoever it takes, to push their fellows down while lifting up themselves, for whenever it is the case that there is a craving for worldly greatness the end will justify the means, whatever the means may be.
Judas started writing off the disciples one by one as he sought to big up himself for the top position. He begins with James and John, who were just mere fishermen and who did not even have the education or the finesse necessary, to be at the top.
It's true they could fish, but they were not proficient with computers, so they would lack the necessary skills and the know-how for the job.
He also scratches off Matthew, as being in bed with the Romans on the issue of taxes, because the Jews viewed those who collected taxes for the Romans as national traitors.
Judas even writes off Jesus Christ as being too timid to wrest the reins of control from the Romans, and so, one by one, everybody else seems not to be up to the challenge in his mind and thus, lo and behold, there’s only one left standing, me myself and I. Let’s read:
[The Desire of Ages pp 717] Judas was highly regarded by the disciples, and had great influence over them. He himself had a high opinion of his own qualifications, and looked upon his brethren as greatly inferior to him in judgment and ability.
The church would never prosper with such short- sighted men as leaders. Peter was impetuous; he would move without consideration. John, who was treasuring up the truths that fell from Christ's lips, was looked upon by Judas as a poor financier.
Thus, Judas summed up all the disciples, and flattered himself that the church would often be brought into perplexity and embarrassment if it were not for his ability as a manager.
Thus, hurt feelings, wounded pride, and great anger at the two disciples pervaded the atmosphere, in so much that Jesus had to address the volatile situation before it spun out of control. And He did so with the gentleness and wisdom that is born of God.
He didn’t point fingers, call them names, nor did He rebuke them in any visceral language, for this would only pour salt into an open wound, and would then produce the opposite effect Jesus desired.
When a situation arises, where brethren, or family members become incensed as they vie for the best, the highest or the greatest remember that you must never fight fire with fire for you will only get more fire.
Instead, we are counseled in the example of Christ, and in the approach which He then took, to take the royal road which is found in the Bible, by seeking to diffuse, not infuse more animosity into the mix, by seeking reconciliation, not annihilation. Too many persons are seeking for annihilation nowadays. Let’s read:
[The Desire of Ages pp 435>436] When Christ and the disciples were alone in the house, while Peter was gone to the sea, Jesus called the others to Him, and asked, “What was it that you disputed among yourselves by the way?”
Shame and self-condemnation kept them silent. Jesus had told them that He was to die for their sake, and their selfish ambition was in painful contrast to His unselfish love.
Although He had spoken so plainly of what awaited Him, His mention of the fact that He was soon to go to Jerusalem, again kindled their hopes that the kingdom was about to be set up.
This had led to questioning as to who should fill the highest offices. On Peter's return from the sea, the disciples told him of the Savior's question, and at last one ventured to ask Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
The Savior gathered His disciples about Him, and said to them, “If any man desires to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.” There was in these words a solemnity and impressiveness which the disciples were far from comprehending.
Thus, according to Jesus, true greatness manifests itself in service, not in seeking to make other people subservient to oneself. It was the tendency to seek the highest place that prevented the disciples from washing one another’s feet.
And if the Christian in our day is not very careful, we can find ourselves cultivating that same tendency of loving to be served by others instead of being eager to play the role of servant. Let’s read:
Matthew 20: 26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.
28 Even as The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
We are no doubt in a downward spiral that may not easily be reversed, for in seeking the highest place we are in danger of making the same mistakes like Judas and the other disciples made by scratching off everyone else, so that we alone are left standing.
Hence the reason why Isaiah warns those who live during the last days of earth’s history, that darkness would envelope the earth, and gross darkness the people, for he saw in holy vision, the same spirit of self-exaltation, that started the war in heaven. Let’s read:
Isaiah 60: 2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
Persons should not be deceived as to the results of tracking a me first course, because doing so will only bring war, discontent and strife in a thousand forms, the reason being that the underlying principle of the kingdom of darkness is diabolically and diametrically opposed to God’s kingdom of light.
In other words, the “Me first” perspective, and the philosophy which drive such thoughts and actions, can only produce adverse effects. It may seem, and sound good up front, but in the end, it will be sweet in the mouth and bitter in the belly.
Never believe that evil angels under satanic rule are living in peace, and harmony with each other. They are not, for they have fist fights, and arguments and bullying amongst themselves, because these are the natural byproducts of me first philosophies.
It is true that they put their differences aside when it comes to achieving their common goal of dragging humanity lower and lower into the abyss, but other than that it’s mayhem, disturbances, confrontations and fights on a daily basis. Let’s read:
[The Desire of Ages pp 435>436] The strife for the highest place was the outworking of that same spirit which was the beginning of the great controversy in the worlds above, and which had brought Christ from heaven to die.
There rose up before Him a vision of Lucifer, the “son of the morning. Lucifer had said, “I will be like the Most-High” (Isaiah 14:12, 14); and the desire for self-exaltation had brought strife into the heavenly courts, and had banished a multitude of the hosts of God.
Lucifer desired God's power, but not His character. He sought for himself the highest place, and every being who is actuated by his spirit will do the same. Thus, alienation, discord, and strife will be inevitable.
Dominion becomes the prize of the strongest. The kingdom of Satan is a kingdom of force; every individual regards every other as an obstacle in the way of his own advancement, or a steppingstone on which he himself may climb to a higher place.
There is much work to do in our hearts, and there is much conversion to take place in the lives of many. The spirit of unselfish service, the willingness to let ourselves be God’s humble servants, waiting to do His bidding by serving in whatever capacity He may ordain, is the spirit that should be cultivated at such a time as this.
The Christian in our day will have to do spiritual, and mortal battle against perspectives, and philosophies that have their origins in the depths of hell. You may not encounter a real devil as you go on your way but the mindsets that are obtaining, should be enough to put you on your guard.
Every sentiment must be tested and proven by the word of God, and if it does not line up with what is written, it must be rejected outright, in favor of the gold standard. Jesus stooped to wash His disciples’ feet when they refused to do so.
Again, as He entered Jerusalem for the last time, He chose one of the lowliest animals to ride on. Thus, in our day, when His ways and means are contrasted with the here and now, we could plainly see why the Laodicean church, the last of the seven churches has warranted His stern rebuke.
Let Christians in our day study the life and character of Christ, especially the closing scenes of His earthly life, before calvary, and we will never harbor an idea or relish a thought of being first.
We therefore end with a passage of Scripture which will help us to stay focused on Jesus, so that as we behold His greatness in humility and service, we too would be encouraged and strengthened to track the same course as He did. Let’s read:
2nd Corinthians 3: 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
God Bless!