Jesus: The Greatest, Our Servant

"10Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 11But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant." (Matthew 23: 10-11)

Too many in the body of Christ read this passage, and begin thinking:

 I will be everyone's servant, so that I can be the greatest.

Yet that sentiment in itself is the very arrogance which Jesus rails against.

Jesus pushed aside the need for preeminence in man:

"But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee." (Luke 14: 10)

Paul explained to the Philippians, and thus to all of us in the Body of Christ:

"5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:5-11)

Jesus had every right to claim and proclaim his oneness and Sonship with God the Father. Yet He did not. Instead, He became like one of us, suffered through all our temptations and setbacks, yet did not sin (Hebrews 4:15), but became our sin offering that we would be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5: 21).

He came not to be ministered to, but to minister to us:

"For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Mark 10: 45)

He was seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 1: 20-22), and only then are we seated with Him (Ephesians 2: 4-6)

Never should we think that we can be the greatest, for that title belongs to Christ alone:

"And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence." (Colossians 1: 18)

Jesus alone has preeminence, and He seeks to be our Servant.