And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.
Christ spoke these words to rebuke pride and grasping after the highest places when His disciples sought position without understanding His coming suffering and death. To be greatest in His kingdom is to serve everyone in humble, unselfish ministry, for worth is not measured by rank, honor, worldly prominence or ruling over others as the Gentiles do. He Himself is the pattern of this service, for though He was the Majesty of heaven He came not to be served but to serve and give His life a ransom, clothing divinity with humanity and becoming obedient unto death on the cross. True honor is gained only by sharing His cup and baptism of self-denial and sacrifice, whose joy is to see souls saved and uplifted. Those who would be chief must therefore take the lowest place, ministers and teachers becoming servants of all in kindness and humility rather than exalting themselves over their brethren.
Setting and True Greatness
The saying was given to rebuke pride and ambition for the highest places of honor. James and John, together with their mother, asked for those highest positions without knowing what they were asking. At the same time the disciples as a whole were expecting high positions and did not understand the foretelling of betrayal, suffering and death.
To be chiefest is to be servant of all, and to be first is to serve everyone. Greatness in Christ's kingdom is measured by humble ministry and unselfish service. It is not lordship and authority as the Gentiles exercise them, not rank or dignity or honor, not worldly prominence or control or kingly power, and not harsh human rule.
Christ's Example of Service
Jesus Himself is the pattern and meaning of this service, for He came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many, reaching out in person to minister to men, women and children. He illustrated this by kneeling to wash feet, and the ordinance of foot washing was given to keep His lessons of humility and service in the minds of His followers. Though He was the majesty of Heaven, He walked among men not as a king demanding homage but as one whose constant care was how to aid and bless humanity, estimating man by the price paid for redemption. Moved by compassion for a fallen world, He left the heavenly courts, clothed divinity with humanity, made Himself of no reputation, took the form of a servant and became obedient unto death on the cross to cleanse from sin and give eternal glory. Though served by all He became servant of all and will be honored by all.
His humility in adapting Himself to fallen humanity in order to uplift people and raise them to a higher life was not a low estimate of His character or abilities, and it calls His disciples to humility and self-sacrifice for the good of others. True glory is purchased at infinite sacrifice, by drinking His cup and sharing His baptism of humiliation, agony and shedding of blood, whose joy is to see souls saved. Those who serve most unselfishly, seek the greatest good, and show the greatest self-sacrifice, self-denial and likeness to His character will be most honored and will share His joy in seeing people redeemed. This lowly spirit is the first great principle of true religion, to be learned in His school before anyone is fit to teach the truth.
His cross puts to shame selfish desires, ambitions, strife for position and the honor of men, so His followers cannot expect exaltation and favor while He was despised and rejected, a man of sorrows acquainted with grief, and must learn from Him who is meek and lowly in heart. The verse stands against treating faith and the cross as barriers to advancement and distinction, for Christ rejected worldly rule and honor.
Servanthood in Daily Work
To be chiefest is to be servant of all, and whoever seeks the highest place must take the lowest place in humble ministry rather than seeking status or authority over others. The desire for prominence comes from cherished selfishness and self-esteem, which if retained leads into self-serving and loss, and must be set aside in favor of rivalry rejected and humble service chosen. This service means ministering to people's needs without exalting self, serving one another and working together unitedly in God's work after the pattern of Christ who came not to be served but to serve and give His life for many. The ordinance of foot washing was appointed to keep these lessons of humility and service continually in mind.
Seeking supremacy and striving to become head over fellow workers is wrong, because it seizes authority that belongs to God and makes the minds of others subservient to one's own. Each person is to carry out the work God appoints, and leadership in Christ's order is not harsh rule, kingly power, striving to rule, or human control, but service under the Holy Spirit. The desire for mastery and for being first springs from a quarrelsome character and does not prepare anyone to serve under the Prince of peace.
Ministers, teachers, messengers and all who lead others to Christ and would be chief must be servants of all rather than exalted above fellow believers. For them this means showing kindness, courtesy, meekness and humility, giving up the appearance of worldly greatness and remaining humble and faithful to righteousness, since greatness in God's sight is not worldly prominence or control. It includes readiness to confess errors, which sets a good example and encourages confession and unity in the church.
For a minister of Christ, a teacher of truth and a true shepherd, to be servant of all means anticipating the wants of those who need help and knowing how to be useful here and there in the great work of saving souls. It means bearing the cross after Christ and fulfilling the commission of a gospel minister, not going merely where he pleases and working when and how he pleases while shunning responsibilities. It means knowing by experience what it is to suffer for Christ's sake through self-denial and tribulation, rather than desiring to be like Christ and with Him in glory while avoiding poverty and crucifixion. In following Christ as the great Exemplar and standing as sentinels to prepare a people for translation, this same servanthood is lived by working unitedly, putting others' needs first, accepting difficult responsibilities others leave undone, and laboring to help, encourage and strengthen others even at personal cost. It is lived by sowing kindness, love and tender thought for the feelings of others, which is received in return, and not by sowing distrust, envy, jealousy, self-love and bitterness of thought and feeling, which reaps bitterness to one's own soul.
Christ spoke these words to rebuke pride and grasping after the highest places when His disciples sought position without understanding His coming suffering and death. To be greatest in His kingdom is to serve everyone in humble, unselfish ministry, for worth is not measured by rank, honor, worldly prominence or ruling over others as the Gentiles do. He Himself is the pattern of this service, for though He was the Majesty of heaven He came not to be served but to serve and give His life a ransom, clothing divinity with humanity and becoming obedient unto death on the cross. True honor is gained only by sharing His cup and baptism of self-denial and sacrifice, whose joy is to see souls saved and uplifted. Those who would be chief must therefore take the lowest place, ministers and teachers becoming servants of all in kindness and humility rather than exalting themselves over their brethren.
Setting and True Greatness
The saying was given to rebuke pride and ambition for the highest places of honor. James and John, together with their mother, asked for those highest positions without knowing what they were asking. At the same time the disciples as a whole were expecting high positions and did not understand the foretelling of betrayal, suffering and death.
To be chiefest is to be servant of all, and to be first is to serve everyone. Greatness in Christ's kingdom is measured by humble ministry and unselfish service. It is not lordship and authority as the Gentiles exercise them, not rank or dignity or honor, not worldly prominence or control or kingly power, and not harsh human rule.
Christ's Example of Service
Jesus Himself is the pattern and meaning of this service, for He came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many, reaching out in person to minister to men, women and children. He illustrated this by kneeling to wash feet, and the ordinance of foot washing was given to keep His lessons of humility and service in the minds of His followers. Though He was the majesty of Heaven, He walked among men not as a king demanding homage but as one whose constant care was how to aid and bless humanity, estimating man by the price paid for redemption. Moved by compassion for a fallen world, He left the heavenly courts, clothed divinity with humanity, made Himself of no reputation, took the form of a servant and became obedient unto death on the cross to cleanse from sin and give eternal glory. Though served by all He became servant of all and will be honored by all.
His humility in adapting Himself to fallen humanity in order to uplift people and raise them to a higher life was not a low estimate of His character or abilities, and it calls His disciples to humility and self-sacrifice for the good of others. True glory is purchased at infinite sacrifice, by drinking His cup and sharing His baptism of humiliation, agony and shedding of blood, whose joy is to see souls saved. Those who serve most unselfishly, seek the greatest good, and show the greatest self-sacrifice, self-denial and likeness to His character will be most honored and will share His joy in seeing people redeemed. This lowly spirit is the first great principle of true religion, to be learned in His school before anyone is fit to teach the truth.
His cross puts to shame selfish desires, ambitions, strife for position and the honor of men, so His followers cannot expect exaltation and favor while He was despised and rejected, a man of sorrows acquainted with grief, and must learn from Him who is meek and lowly in heart. The verse stands against treating faith and the cross as barriers to advancement and distinction, for Christ rejected worldly rule and honor.
Servanthood in Daily Work
To be chiefest is to be servant of all, and whoever seeks the highest place must take the lowest place in humble ministry rather than seeking status or authority over others. The desire for prominence comes from cherished selfishness and self-esteem, which if retained leads into self-serving and loss, and must be set aside in favor of rivalry rejected and humble service chosen. This service means ministering to people's needs without exalting self, serving one another and working together unitedly in God's work after the pattern of Christ who came not to be served but to serve and give His life for many. The ordinance of foot washing was appointed to keep these lessons of humility and service continually in mind.
Seeking supremacy and striving to become head over fellow workers is wrong, because it seizes authority that belongs to God and makes the minds of others subservient to one's own. Each person is to carry out the work God appoints, and leadership in Christ's order is not harsh rule, kingly power, striving to rule, or human control, but service under the Holy Spirit. The desire for mastery and for being first springs from a quarrelsome character and does not prepare anyone to serve under the Prince of peace.
Ministers, teachers, messengers and all who lead others to Christ and would be chief must be servants of all rather than exalted above fellow believers. For them this means showing kindness, courtesy, meekness and humility, giving up the appearance of worldly greatness and remaining humble and faithful to righteousness, since greatness in God's sight is not worldly prominence or control. It includes readiness to confess errors, which sets a good example and encourages confession and unity in the church.
For a minister of Christ, a teacher of truth and a true shepherd, to be servant of all means anticipating the wants of those who need help and knowing how to be useful here and there in the great work of saving souls. It means bearing the cross after Christ and fulfilling the commission of a gospel minister, not going merely where he pleases and working when and how he pleases while shunning responsibilities. It means knowing by experience what it is to suffer for Christ's sake through self-denial and tribulation, rather than desiring to be like Christ and with Him in glory while avoiding poverty and crucifixion. In following Christ as the great Exemplar and standing as sentinels to prepare a people for translation, this same servanthood is lived by working unitedly, putting others' needs first, accepting difficult responsibilities others leave undone, and laboring to help, encourage and strengthen others even at personal cost. It is lived by sowing kindness, love and tender thought for the feelings of others, which is received in return, and not by sowing distrust, envy, jealousy, self-love and bitterness of thought and feeling, which reaps bitterness to one's own soul.