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.
[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.
Matthew 20:28 Even as The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!