Don’t you love it when you’re reading the Bible and something really jumps out at you? Me too! I experienced one of those “jump off the page” moments during my devotion earlier this morning. The thing that was jumping out at me was the fact that Jesus and our culture have pretty different definitions of what greatness is. As I meditated on this and dug a little deeper, I began to realize that the book of Matthew had quite a few lessons for us to learn from Jesus in regards to what truly makes someone great in the Kingdom.
Although I’m going to give you 3 ways Jesus redefined greatness, I want to be honest by saying that I still struggle with practically applying them to my own life. By Gods grace we are gradually shaped and molded which is a lifelong process. We shouldn’t beat ourselves up when we fall short, rather let us praise God for His patience and mercy and submit ourselves to Him as we grow in our faith. You’re not alone if you can relate with this. Keep fighting the good fight and following Jesus!
To compare and contrast, lets begin by briefly talking about how culture defines greatness. I think its safe to say that typically greatness is defined by how much money you make, how many material things you can obtain, and the level of fame and social status you are able to achieve. Greatness is also viewed as becoming exceptionally skilled in a particular area. Are there other things that people would say define greatness? Of course, but generally speaking, greatness is a self-driven ambition that results in our OWN success and fulfillment.
Music, movies, and mainstream society pushes these social pressures and expectations on us. Is there anything wrong with wanting to be financially stable, obtain material things, and have a social status and influence over others? No, not in and of themselves, however the problem arises when we attach a singular definition of greatness to them and store up our value and treasure in them alone. In other words, when we make an idol out of greatness and the things that achieve it for us, we are sinning against God and going against His will.
As Christians, we are commanded to not be conformed to the patterns and behaviors of this world, but to be renewed by the transforming of our minds so that we will become aligned with Gods will. (Romans 12) I pray that the Spirit transforms our minds as we look at 3 ways Jesus redefines greatness in the book of Matthew!
——–The First Way Jesus Redefines Greatness: Obedience (Matthew 5:19)———
Before you get the wrong impression, let me start by saying that I believe Jesus teaches that obedience to His commands result in greatness in the Kingdom, but NOT the way someone is saved. The Bible is VERY clear that justification and salvation are by faith alone in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Obedience will follow as a natural result.
So our first definition of “kingdom greatness” is found in Matthew 5:19 during Jesus’ sermon on the mount. Lets read what it says and then talk about it.
“Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of Heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of Heaven.”
We read this verse in the middle of Jesus explaining that He didn’t come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. He is teaching His followers what it means to be a true disciple. He says that those who teach others to disobey His teachings will be considered least in the kingdom, but those who do them and teaches them will be called great.
But what does this practically look like for us today? Well we definitely aren’t all in roles of teaching and preaching in churches, but I believe this still carries a lot of weight for all believers. Why do I say that? Because we all have INFLUENCE over others. The way we live sends a message to those around us. The things we do and say impact others. As a follower of Jesus, we know when we are participating in ungodly conversation, or activities. We know when we are compromising on biblical truths that may in turn affect people in our lives.
Jesus tell us that those who DO and TEACH His commands are considered great. This gets right to the very heart of what true discipleship really is. In fact it closely resembles the great commission given later in chapter 28, which commands followers of Jesus to “go and make disciples, baptizing them and teaching them what I’ve commanded”.
Obedience to Christ’s teachings and a willingness to share and influence others by them is the way our Lord Himself defined Kingdom Greatness. Don’t forget that we are ALWAYS influencing others, and can become stumbling blocks by our words and actions if we aren’t careful and discerning. Fortunately for us, we have Jesus as our perfect example of greatness in obedience.
Hebrews 4:15 says, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
Jesus lived a perfectly obedient life to redeem us from the law and our sin, and by faith we are saved and given the Holy Spirit to walk obediently in His footsteps.
——–The Second Way Jesus Redefines Greatness: Humility (Matthew 18:1-4)——–
Humility probably isn’t one of the first words that comes to mind when you think greatness, but apparently it is for Jesus. Lets see what He says about it in Matthew 18:1-4.
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?” And calling to Him a child, He put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.”
Doesn’t get much clearer than that does it? This wasn’t the first time the disciples were curious about who would be the greatest. In fact their idea of the kingdom of God was that Jesus was going to overthrow Rome and deliver the Jews, and set up an Earthly kingdom during their lifetime. Since they were loyal followers of Jesus, they all assumed they would be given high ranking roles of authority and power. I would criticize their misunderstanding of what Jesus came to do, but lets be serious, I probably would have been one of the disciples raising my hand asking if I could sit at His right hand too…
Lets unpack our passage. Knowing His disciples were expecting a different answer, I love how Jesus uses the child as an illustration. “Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven”. Jesus told them they must turn and become like children. But obviously this doesn’t mean jump in a time machine and go back to the 4th grade. He is using the child to teach a lesson in humility.
Children aren’t eaten up with pride and competitive nature. They are too young for those sorts of things. They instead are humble, simple, and more concerned with what their DOING rather than what others will THINK about them. Jesus was telling His disciples that their question itself was displaying their pride. The fact that they wanted to be the greatest reveals their hearts intentions. Jesus flips the script on them, as He usually does, and saw it as an opportunity to talk about the importance of humility.
But what does humility mean? I love how C.S. Lewis simply puts it, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.”
Society tells us to do the opposite. We are taught from all angles to primarily think about ourselves. This inflates our ego, and takes our attention away from other people. This self centered type of perspective ruins marriages, friendships, and families. Be humble, like a child, Jesus says. Put others before yourself. Be concerned with the well being of others, and be willing to yield to what others want and need.
We have Jesus as our perfect example of greatness in humility.
Philippians 2:5-8 says, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. “
Jesus humbled Himself by becoming human, living a perfectly obedient life, and willingly dying for the sins of all those who would come to Him by faith. That is true humility, which moves us to our third and final definition Jesus gave us on greatness.
——-The Third Way Jesus Redefines Greatness: Service (Matthew 20:25-28)——-
Its no wonder that service found its way on our list today. Service was something that Jesus lived and demonstrated throughout His entire ministry. Lets read what He says in Matthew 20:25-28 after James and Johns mother approached Jesus asking Him to allow her sons to sit both on the left and right sides of His throne.
“But Jesus called them to Him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 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 your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many’.”
Again, Jesus gives us a crystal clear definition of kingdom greatness: service. He says that the problem with the mothers request is that they will be tempted to abuse their authority and lord it over people. The temptation of pride and selfish ambition would have been too much. Instead Jesus teaches that to be great you must be a servant and slave to others. This teaching comes as just as much of a paradox for us today as it did them. To be first, you must be last? Isn’t that backwards? Absolutely, and I’d rather be backwards with Jesus than forward with the world.
Jesus flipped the world upside down with His teachings, and that’s His intended purpose for His words to have on us. When we read challenging passages like this that stretch us and cause us to get outside of our comfort zone, it gives the Holy Spirit an opportunity to change us and conform us more like Christ.
Service takes many forms. You can be a servant in your marriage, your family, your church, and even your workplace. We have been gifted by God to serve the church and others. Its one of the primary ways He uses us to make disciples. And just like the other two definitions, we have Jesus as our perfect example of greatness in service.
The end of that passage says, “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” That’s amazing! The God of the universe humbled Himself to become one of us, lived a perfectly obedient life, and lived a life of service that led to His ultimate act of service on the cross. These truths about our savior should result in praise and worship.
So we’ve read and seen 3 ways Jesus has redefined greatness for us. The only question that remains is will we align ourselves with these definitions and strive for this kind of greatness? I pray God will grant you the power to walk in obedience, humility, and service, as you continue to follow Him and grow in your faith!
I hope this has shined some light!
Shine the Light and Write 