Ending the Debate on Who is the Greatest
One hobby among guys is debating. These are not the nerds on the debate team, but the sports nuts who argue over who is the greatest athlete … who’s the best golfer … the best basketball player … the best at curling. GOATS.
The greatest of all time.
Honestly, I don’t know if women do this. Maybe around Thanksgiving, the topic of who makes the best dressing (or do you call it stuffing?) may arise. But I do know Christians often make comparisons. Who was the better pastor … the better preacher … the better worship leader … the best Sunday School teacher.
This is nothing new. The apostle Paul had to address this issue with the church of Corinth. They were choosing sides over which leader they preferred. Peter, Paul, Apollos, or Jesus. Paul came down hard on this and emphasized that these men were all servants—just like the church members themselves—and it was all about Jesus. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Period.
But this debate even preceded the Corinthian Christians. We can go back to Jesus’s twelve closest followers!
“They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ But they were silent, because on the way they had been arguing with one another about who was the greatest” (Mark 9:33-34).
I want to cut these men a little slack. I’m sure they would say, “No doubt, Jesus, you’re the greatest! But among us … who is it? Who is the greatest after you?” Let me state this as plainly as possible. Jesus is the greatest … and there is no second greatest. It’s Jesus. Period.
Jesus knew what they were arguing about, but He didn’t directly answer them. He just simply and succinctly said,
“If anyone wants to be first, he must be last and servant of all” (v. 35).
Matthew recorded a similar occurrence, but the disciples’ debate seems to be broader, beyond themselves.
““So who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matt. 18:1).
Jesus used a kid as a visual illustration and answered:
“He called a small child and had him stand among them. ‘Truly I tell you,’ He said, ‘unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child—this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (vv. 2-4).
Jesus is the greatest. Period. Any ranking beyond that is immaterial and totally misses the point of being a Christ follower. If you’re trying to figure out who’s the next in line after Jesus, you’re missing the supremacy of Jesus. After Jesus, we are to be servants. Humble servants. Humble servants who give no thought to where they are in the order of things. We love Jesus so much that all we want to do is serve and honor Him.
We are the servants of The Greatest, and that is the greatest thing we can do.
My next blog will be my final posting.
