I remember as a kid watching and listening to a boxer named Muhammad Ali. He was a great boxer with absolutely no humility at all! He proclaimed himself as “the greatest” on a regular basis. He even said, “it is impossible to be humble when you are this great.” The world is full of people that are full of themselves. It is a problem we all have to some extent, and those who love us seem to want to make us feel like we are greater than we are. I hear parents telling their kids how great they are, and I want to stop them in mid-conversation, and remind them that pride leads to destruction and humility is God’s way. Don’t misunderstand, we need to encourage our children, but we need to remind them they did well because God allowed it, and because He blessed them. Teach them to be grateful for the abilities He has given them.
As bad as this attitude is in our society, it is not a new attitude. The disciples also had issues with the feeling they were the greatest in the kingdom of God. In Mark chapter 9, the disciples had been talking and disputing with one another about who was the greatest among them. I imagine they were comparing notes on who had been with Jesus the most, or at important events. Who had seen the most miracles, or who he had spoken to in times of trouble? Each one wanted to be the most important in Jesus’ life. Finally, Jesus asks them what they had been disputing about, then came the question. They ask Him, who was the greatest among them.
Mark 9:33-35 “And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.”
Jesus’ answer to them was not what they expected. He told them the greatest is the servant of all. The commentary Barnes Notes explains it like this: “That is, he shall be the most distinguished Christian who is the most humble, and who is willing to be esteemed least and last of all. To esteem ourselves as God esteems us is humility, and it cannot be degrading to think of ourselves as we are; but pride, or an attempt to be thought of more importance than we are, is foolish, wicked, and degrading.” This is the opposite of what our society teaches, and that is not a surprise, but if we are truly to be great in God’s eyes, we are to do it in God’s way. Matthew 23:12 and I Peter 5:6 makes it very clear that God will exalt those who should be exalted in His time and His way.
Matthew 23:12 “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.”
I Peter 5:6 “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:”
In our culture, we would say that the disciples had a positive self-image, but God is clear in scripture that our problem is not a lack of a positive self-image. Our problem is that we think way too much of ourselves and too little about others. Over and over in scripture, we are told to humble ourselves. In Philippians 2:3, we are told to lower ourselves and prefer others above ourselves. After all, that is how God treats us. He humbled himself and became a man to redeem us. He loves us and gives freely his undeserved favor. The disciples should have been humbled by the truth that Jesus chose to spend time with them. He chose to use them to tell others about Him. However, at this point we see them acting just like we do most of the time: seeking recognition and affirmation that we are great. We are not to praise ourselves or seek the praise of men. If someone pays you a compliment, give God the glory. All that we are that is of any value is because God blessed and allowed it. Our actions and attitudes should point others to Christ, not to ourselves.
Proverbs 27:2 “Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.”
So, who is the greatest? God and God alone! Point people to Him, brag on Him, and praise Him, so that others may know what a great God we serve, not what a great person we are!
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