True Greatness

"Today's Devotion" For July 27, 2005

Read: Matthew 18:1-5; Philippians 2:1-11

TRUE GREATNESS

"'Therefore whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'"(Mt.18:5)

"Delusions of grandeur" are part of the fabric of history. Alexander the Great wanted to rule the world as did - just to name a few - Julius Caesar, Napoleon, and Adolph Hitler. Each of them achieved some level of greatness or infamy, but they hardly ruled the world. Each of them wished to be great. They wanted a place in history. They either wanted to be revered and honored, or feared and worshipped by subsequent generations. There's a question of greatness that arises for each of them: Is true greatness measured by being remembered in the history of the world, or in being a humble, loving and caring person, putting others ahead of yourself? As we examined the candidates for the White House last fall, and hear the rumblings of who's running for President in the next election cycle, this same question appropriately comes to mind. As we hear and see the debates and discussions that go on pertaining to the public good at all levels of government, and listen to those who would lead us, we are led to ask, "Who truly seeks to serve the public and the common good? Who only seeks to further his or her own personal agenda and ambitions?"

The twelve disciples of Jesus had their own "Delusions of grandeur." The question could reasonably be asked of them, "Are you seeking to serve yourselves or others?" They wanted greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven, expecting it to be another form of earthly rule that Jesus would bring to bear on the world. It would be a glorious kingdom ruled by God, so they had their sights set on something even higher that the politicians and historic world leaders mentioned above. Sadly, the disciples completely missed the point of Jesus' coming to earth. Their sinful nature led them to develop an attitude of personal glory. If Jesus was to rule the world, then He would obviously need others to "help" Him wield political power in His "kingdom." Matthew tells us they debated who would be the "top dog" among them in that "kingdom." Such thinking flew in the face of Jesus' mission and stood at odds with the picture of the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 and the humble Savior of Paul's Letter to the Philippians (2:5-11).

How about you and me? Are we so different from the disciples? Certainly not one among us could be accused of having "delusions of grandeur" and seeking to be the greatness among God's people, could we? Lest we make fools of ourselves, the true answer is that we often seek the prestige of recognition for our accomplishments, rather than letting them come to us as a blessing from God. Just as He challenged the Twelve, Jesus challenges us to examine why we are following Him. The whole idea of the kingdom of heaven is not one of greatness, but of service. It isn't how well-known we might be, how many accolades we might receive, or even how much power or money you may acquire. The kingdom of heaven is about living in a childlike faith that trusts God above all things, and leads to selfless service. It's about walking in the footsteps of our Savior, serving just as Jesus served as He gave Himself to save the world, without personal regard.

Eventually, history tells us, this same servant attitude prevailed among the Twelve, the Apostle Paul, and many others who traveled the known world, sharing the Gospel and facing danger every step of the way. Many of them were martyred in the process. All of them willingly faced such situations simply so they could faithfully share Jesus' love and forgiveness with the world. Following in their footsteps, and using Jesus as our example, by faith we boldly and confidently go forth each day to bring the message of salvation through faith in Christ alone to a lost and fallen world. In God's eyes, walking humbly before Him by faith, always sharing His love for the world in Jesus Christ, is what true greatness is about. It's the "greatness" He wants for us and calls us to in our Baptisms. It's the "greatness" that changes the world, because it points always to Jesus.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You came to this earth and humbled Yourself to become human flesh and take on my condition. You obeyed the Father's Will perfectly in my place. Then You took my sins and the sins of the whole world upon Your shoulders and received the punishment for us that we should receive. Your humble attitude is true greatness. Help me to aspire to such greatness, and lead me to be a servant concerned with serving You and others, ahead of myself. Let Your example be my guide so that I may be an effective witness for You to others. Hear me Lord Jesus. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright @ 2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.