True Greatness

And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he 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.” Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “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.” (Mark 10:35-45 ESV). Everyone has some pull within them to be great. The real problem for many is in determining what true greatness really is. The world measures greatness in different ways. Probably the most common way that the world defines greatness is accomplishment, people that achieve great things. You might go back into ancient history and think about Alexander the Great, because he conquered the known world by the time he was 33 years old, and then wept that there were no more worlds to conquer. Or you may think about Thomas Edison with over a thousand patents to his name. Or consider Einstein and his amazing discoveries in quantum physics. Others would say real greatness is all about power. In Jesus’ time, Caesar Augustus would be considered truly great because of all the power he held. In the modern world, you might look at US presidents, or other national leaders for the definition of greatness. Surely if you become such a powerful leader you are great. However, the answer is not in wealth, accomplishment, or power. It is both much simpler and much more complex than that. Jesus tells us how: “…whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.” Jesus – the greatest man to ever exist says He didn’t come to be served; He came to serve, even to the point of trading His life for our salvation. The greatest man was also the greatest servant. And that is what He calls us to do. He calls us follow in the footsteps of Jesus and to serve our fellow man. It’s the only lasting road to greatness. How great are you today?