One of the greatest baseball players to ever play the game was Willy Mays. He was one of my hero's from a young age. As a young boy I was listening to the Giants playing the Dodgers. Willy hit four home runs in that game. As a 10 year old I went to my first Big League game at the Los Angles Coliseum, and wa
tched Willy hit one over the big fence in left field. That fence was only 201 ft. from home plate. Thirteen years later, in 1972, I found myself pitching batting practice to the New York Mets. It was Willy's last year, and he was now playing for the Mets. It was a moment I won't forget. When he came to bat, I thought if I could throw a few pitches past him, maybe make him look bad, I would be noticed…After every pitch I threw for a strike, all I saw was a white streak, line drive. Even in his last year he was great. Why was Willy Mays great? Because he was the best, the first, the greatest at what he did.
I, personally, still have that competitive spirit. Paul had it. He said, “run the race to win.”
The disciples also had that desire. One day Jesus asked His twelve men, "What were you discussing on the way?" But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest (Mark 9:33-34). Why were they silent? Guilt…shame…Their silence was a wordless confession.
Jesus recognizes in his disciples' desire for greatness a good thing…But they defined greatness by the standard and morality of the kingdom of this fallen world. Here's how Jesus set them straight.
35 Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all." 36 Taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, 37 "Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me" (Mark 9:35-37).
True greatness is not wanting to be first while others are second and third and fourth, but true greatness is the willingness to be last.
And true greatness is not positioning yourself so that others praise and serve you, but true greatness is putting yourself in a position to serve everyone else.
So Jesus doesn't condemn the quest for greatness. He radically transforms it. Go ahead and pursue it, he says. But the path is down, not up.
EX: Take pastors for example…The measure of true greatness is not how many people attend the church.
Or how much praise he receives.
Or how many books he has written.
But rather, how much heartfelt desire exists to serve others.
How much willingness to decrease while others increase.
Why did Jesus use the child as an example? In Jesus day, children and women were largely auxiliary members of society. Girls under 12 could be sold by their fathers as slaves. He is teaching us, we are to receive children, the least, the insignificant of society. When we do, we are receiving Him, ministering to Jesus, but more than Jesus, to God Himself. If a man receives the poor, the people who have no influence, and no wealth, and no power, the people who need things done for them, Jesus says he is receiving Me.
tched Willy hit one over the big fence in left field. That fence was only 201 ft. from home plate. Thirteen years later, in 1972, I found myself pitching batting practice to the New York Mets. It was Willy's last year, and he was now playing for the Mets. It was a moment I won't forget. When he came to bat, I thought if I could throw a few pitches past him, maybe make him look bad, I would be noticed…After every pitch I threw for a strike, all I saw was a white streak, line drive. Even in his last year he was great. Why was Willy Mays great? Because he was the best, the first, the greatest at what he did.I, personally, still have that competitive spirit. Paul had it. He said, “run the race to win.”
The disciples also had that desire. One day Jesus asked His twelve men, "What were you discussing on the way?" But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest (Mark 9:33-34). Why were they silent? Guilt…shame…Their silence was a wordless confession.
Jesus recognizes in his disciples' desire for greatness a good thing…But they defined greatness by the standard and morality of the kingdom of this fallen world. Here's how Jesus set them straight.
35 Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all." 36 Taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, 37 "Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me" (Mark 9:35-37).
True greatness is not wanting to be first while others are second and third and fourth, but true greatness is the willingness to be last.
And true greatness is not positioning yourself so that others praise and serve you, but true greatness is putting yourself in a position to serve everyone else.
So Jesus doesn't condemn the quest for greatness. He radically transforms it. Go ahead and pursue it, he says. But the path is down, not up.
EX: Take pastors for example…The measure of true greatness is not how many people attend the church.
Or how much praise he receives.
Or how many books he has written.
But rather, how much heartfelt desire exists to serve others.
How much willingness to decrease while others increase.
Why did Jesus use the child as an example? In Jesus day, children and women were largely auxiliary members of society. Girls under 12 could be sold by their fathers as slaves. He is teaching us, we are to receive children, the least, the insignificant of society. When we do, we are receiving Him, ministering to Jesus, but more than Jesus, to God Himself. If a man receives the poor, the people who have no influence, and no wealth, and no power, the people who need things done for them, Jesus says he is receiving Me.
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