Evening
March 17

Matthew 20:26-28 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave– 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."


Jesus had spoken of thrones that the disciples would receive because they had left all to follow Him. The mother of James and John asked that they be on the ones closest to Jesus. That would be the most prominent positions. Once again Jesus must help them understand the difference between the kingdoms of men and the kingdom of God. He pointed out how Gentile authorities use their power to have their way, to control and order others around. Jesus said, "Not so among you." If you want to be great, serve others. God's way up is down. If you want to be first, serve others. Your worth to God is often the opposite of what it is to men.

Then Jesus used His own life as an example. He was not there seeking out people to serve Him. He was serving as many as He could, healing, teaching, feeding, and setting them free. Not only was He serving, but He was also about to lay down His life as the ultimate act of service to the Father and man. Do you want to be great, truly great? Give your life to God and see how He would have you serve Him and mankind. Just as He had a plan for the life of His Son, He has a plan for your life. We would all like to think that means importance in the eyes of men, but that is rarely the case. It often means humiliation in the eyes of man.

Consider: Is your life about serving, or being served?