BY: Pastor Bob Miller
CHAPTER READ: Matthew 20
SCRIPTURE SELECTED:
Matthew 20:26
26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must
be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his
life as a ransom for many.”
OBSERVATION:
The disciples are upset at one another because they were vying for the best position and top spots. They each wanted to be the greatest. Jesus says greatness is measured not in how many people serve you, but rather in how many people you serve and in how well you live your life for others. Jesus is our example. He didn’t come to be served but to serve and His life was laid down for the ransom of many. We all can say we “serve others”. We serve our family’s and friends. But does our service reach to those whom we don’t know…to our enemies?
APPLICATION:
Jesus didn’t tell the disciples Not to desire greatness. We have within ourselves the need to excel and to do our best. He did warn us about chasing after greatness as the world defines it. We are to excel in our service to others and in our giving ourselves away. We can measure it by “how deep we are willing to go for another”, “By how wide (whom) we are willing to serve” and by “how long we are willing to serve”. Jesus is still serving us today! I’ve got to consider how I’m doing today?
PRAYER:
“Lord, I know that a life of serving others, gives great joy and it is blessed! What a privilege it is to Pastor a Church! And yet, I tend to want to limit the depth and the width and the length of my service for others. When I do that, not only am I not fulfilling Your purpose but I’m robbing myself of deeper blessings and greater joy. Make me like You! Make me a true servant. Amen