Luke 22:24-30, And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ “But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves. You are those who have stood by Me in My trials; and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
I have always wanted to be like Jesus. The test of my goals and desire are never found in the celebration of victories, it is found in the demands of required sacrifice. It is a blessing to have a Savior who loves us so much that He is with us even when we are several steps ahead, or even a few behind. His willingness to help us is always seen in the murals of our own needs.
We all know we are called to be like Him, but we also realize we fail to reflect Him with the definition He deserves in this world. (Romans 3:32) Interestingly, when the disciples sitting at the table couldn’t figure out who was the worst among them their search turned into a question over who was the greatest. Sadly, a lesson already taught had to be repeated once again. Knowing we are guilty only leaves us with a condition of condemnation. Left alone we are saved we are simply sentenced. I hope you are quicker to learn than these dear brothers of ours.
Now that we know the sandals of the disciples fit our feet, we can take off the feeble protection granted by them and accept the cleansing lesson we need. We need Jesus to repair our souls, in this case the attitudes of sinful and broken hearts. We will be able to minister to this world in direct accordance with level of humility we are willing exercise. Lessons like this are often learned on the job much better than they can be explained in the classroom. Some lessons are rarely learned through simple academics.
Within hours these disciples would be tested on a level they had previously never been. Actually, all would abandon Him. (Matthew 26:56) Their personal statements of dedication would be challenged by the practical application of the sacrifice required to carry them out. Once we learn the lesson of self-sacrifice we can move past the exhaustive and fruitless attempts of self-seeking. We must learn to be servants before we can ever be used by Jesus to reach out to a lost world.
Would you have blamed Jesus had He completely submerged these inattentive and often forgetful followers? They had it coming, but the Lord’s desire to teach the lesson of service was greater than His frustration from the stubborn natured souls of men. He washed their feet while they sat uncomfortably, and likely only barely understood His real point. The final point of Jesus’ divine illustration would be the best compliment He gave at the time, “You are those who stood by me in my trials.” Very soon they would flee. Yes, Jesus knew that would happen too.
Thankfully, our Savior sees our possibilities and potentials beyond our present. Our real value is not found in some shallow fight for a false supremacy among the redeemed. Our best will always be our Savior. We will only be as good as He says we are. According to Jesus, our best is found when we learn to be the least. It will never be understood by the. It is sadly poorly practiced by many. But we are all called to be sacrificial servants of a loving Savior. What kind of a servant am I willing to be? Where is my priority in serving Jesus? What are my spiritual goals for the kingdom of God? Godspeed on your journey…