Last week a passage that I reflected on and spoke on fixed my attention on the servant nature of our Saviour, Jesus. Jesus says to his disciples that just don’t get the way of his kingdom and are trying to make power plays against each other:

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

We often think of greatness in terms of large followings, those with so much money and those in high positions where they can demand things of others. The world usually thinks of greatness in terms power over others.

Yet Jesus, God the son himself, says greatness is found in serving others. Putting the interests of others before your own. It might look demeaning, like that of a slave as he says. Yet even if true greatness doesn’t look impressive to others greatness is bound up with the interests of others.

So as we serve others at cost to ourselves. We should take encouragement that serving others is great. It is great because ultimately it reflects the character of the God who made us. Seeking the benefit of the other is most valuable because that is what Jesus is like. Or rather when we serve others or see others serve us we see a shadow, a reflection of what true service is.

The ironic thing about what Jesus says is that serving others is the way of greatness yet what we need more than any greatness we can show others is to be served by Jesus. And the wonderful news is that Jesus has served us in the greatest way possible. His service involved was dying on a cross so that he might deliver many. Deliver many from the captivity of sin and bring them into joyful relationship with their father in heaven. Jesus’ service is the model for us, but what we need more than a model is a saviour who has served us. Praise God for our servant king!