Matthew 20:25, commentary and pictures

Jesus drew a sharp line between worldly rule, where princes and great men dominate and control those under them for their own benefit, and the order He requires among His followers, where it shall not be so. He called the disciples to Himself to rebuke the pride and ambition behind the request of James and John for the highest places at His right and left in an expected temporal kingdom. True greatness in His kingdom is not measured by wealth, education, or position, but by humility, purity of motive, and likeness to Christ, becoming as a little child and renouncing ambition to serve as minister and servant after His own self-giving ministry. Place in that kingdom is not gained by favoritism, earning, or arbitrary bestowal, but is the result of character formed through self-conquest by grace, with the nearest place to Christ belonging to whoever has drunk most deeply of His spirit of self-sacrificing love. Therefore God has set no kingly power in the church to control others, and those in responsibility are appointed as helpers and brethren, not as rulers who command, coerce, or bind conscience, but who persuade, respect freedom, and lead by humble, patient service under Christ alone.

Setting and Occasion

The saying belongs to the law of the new kingdom, uttered together with Matthew 20:20-28 and preserved also in Mark 10:32-45 and Luke 18:31-34. Jesus called the disciples to Himself to reprove the pride and ambition behind the request of James and John, made through their mother, for the highest places of honor at His right and left in a kingdom they imagined as temporal. In that kingdom greatness would not be domination and rank but humble service patterned after His own self-giving ministry.

They expected the kingdom to be established soon and looked for honored positions in it, so that His words about betrayal, suffering, and death seemed vague to them. Their desire for self-exaltation rested on sharing the expectation of the Jewish teachers for a Messiah altogether different from Him. They looked for a conquering prince to sit on David's throne and gather the nations under His rule, applying to His first advent the Scriptures of His second advent in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. That misapplication of Scripture was the foundation of their desire for self-exaltation, appearing whenever circumstances were favorable, and His instruction had not effectually subdued or changed their spirit.

He spoke while preparing them for His betrayal, death, and resurrection, which they did not comprehend. Even under that shadow they disputed by the way to Capernaum about greatness, until He read their thoughts, called them, and set a little child in their midst. True greatness in His kingdom is conversion and humbling self as a little child.

Worldly Rule Described

The verse lays out the worldly standard of greatness, in which Gentile princes exercise dominion over others and those held great exercise authority upon them, dominating and controlling those under them. It presents the worldly pattern of authority as rulers exercising dominion and great men exercising power over others, with prominent people asserting authority over those beneath them. That self-exalting model stands set against the order of Christ's kingdom, where greatness is not measured by wealth, education, or position but by purity of motive, beauty of character, possession of God's Spirit, and likeness to Him revealed in the life, becoming as a little child in humility, simplicity of faith, and purity of love. Jesus meets this ambition for honor and position with the call to renounce ruling over fellow men and to serve others as a minister after His own example, since self-exalting rule brings dishonor to God and requires those in trust to recognize their weakness and depend on God.

Worldly rule uses authority, wealth, education, and influence to control others and to serve its own interests. It treats people as existing for the benefit of the ruling classes, while those below are expected to obey. The kingdoms of the world strive for the highest position and exalt one person above another by dominion and authority, but Christ's kingdom is not a worldly kingdom of that kind. It calls instead for humility and self-sacrifice for the good of others rather than competing for appearance and exaltation, honoring God by faithful performance of duty. Christ's humility was not a low estimate of His own character and qualifications, but His adapting Himself from equality with God to fallen humanity as a servant in order to raise people up with Him to a higher life and uplift man, which the true disciple follows rather than striving to exalt self.

That domination reaches even to directing religious belief and practice by superiors, with little regard for each person's right to think and act for himself. Christ's way is different, for His ministers are not to compel or command people in matters of faith, but to persuade and beseech them, respecting freedom of choice in religious belief or non-belief.

True Greatness Defined

The saying about Gentile princes exercising dominion and the great exercising authority is set against the order required among Christ's followers, where it shall not be so, for Christ's way is different from domination and rank. It was spoken to reprove the pride and ambition behind the request made through the mother of James and John for the highest places of honor at His right and left in an expected temporal kingdom. Greatness in His kingdom is to minister, and the chief place is to become a servant, in humble service patterned after His own self-giving ministry. Those who would be great are to serve as true shepherds, and those who would be chief are to become servants, following His example rather than seeking status or control. Greatness is not worldly dignity, honors, or rule, but close and faithful imitation of His life, so religious leaders are not to seek temporal dominion but to follow His humility and teach others to do the same. His ministers are therefore not to compel or command people in matters of faith, but to persuade and beseech them, respecting freedom of choice in religious belief or non-belief.

God does not measure men by wealth, education, or position, but by purity of motive and beauty of character, by how much of His Spirit they possess and how much of His likeness their life reveals. True greatness is to become as a little child in humility, simplicity of faith, and purity of love. He that would be great must be a minister, and he that would be chief must become a servant. Those who follow Him must renounce ambition for honor or position and serve others as He did, rejecting strife and vainglory. Believers are not to contend over who is greatest or divide over status, but to work together under Christ for the restoration of God's image in humanity, showing greatness in faithful service by using God-given abilities to bless others and carry out the work He assigns.

That ministry follows the Son of man, who came not to be ministered unto but to minister and to give His life a ransom for many. Position in the kingdom is not gained through favoritism, not earned, nor received through arbitrary bestowal, but is the result of character. Crown and throne are tokens of a condition attained through self-conquest by grace, granted by the Father to those for whom it is prepared, and the nearest place to Christ belongs to whoever has drunk most deeply of His spirit of self-sacrificing love.

His humility was not a low estimate of His own character and qualifications, but His adapting Himself from equality with God to fallen humanity as a servant in order to raise people up with Him to a higher life and uplift man. He laid aside His royal robe and kingly crown and became a member of a lowly earthly family to be a living example of meekness and humility, opening the way for even the most lowly to approach Him as friend. The true disciple follows that example, not competing for appearance and exaltation, but honoring God by faithful performance of duty and by implanting right principles of temperance and moral control in youth. In contrast to Gentile dominion, justice and mercy and love are the controlling powers in Jehovah's kingdom, the ennobling, sanctifying principles that govern it.

Church Order and Freedom

God has set no kingly power in the church to control the whole body or to control any branch of the work, and the burden of leadership is not to rest upon a few men. Responsibilities are to be distributed among a large number of competent men, with every conference, every institution, every church, and every individual having a voice in the election of those who bear the chief responsibilities in the General Conference. Christ alone is the Authority of His followers, and no pope, king, or ruler is to take His place by exercising arbitrary authority over fellow believers or dictating to a church. Church leadership must not be self-exalting or domineering, for worldly rulers exercise dominion and authority over those under them and that human rule is forbidden among His followers. His ministers are not to compel or command people in matters of faith, but to persuade and beseech them, respecting freedom of choice in religious belief or non-belief, since Christ's way is different from Gentile rulers who dominate those under them.

Greatness does not consist in worldly dignity or honors but in near and exact following of Christ in His life and manners. For the time of His pilgrimage here He was a most poor man, abjecting and casting off all worldly rule and honor. The bishop of Rome as vicar of Christ is most bound of all men unto that gospel law, and ought to leave unto the secular power all temporal dominion and rule and move his whole clergy to do the same. He with his clergy ought to follow the Lord Jesus Christ in life and manners and teach the people effectually that they may faithfully follow the same. No faithful man ought to follow either the pope himself or any of the holy men except in such points as he has followed the Lord Jesus Christ, for Peter and the sons of Zebedee by desiring worldly honor contrary to the following of Christ's steps did offend, and in those errors they are not to be followed. Instead of serving as a shepherd and servant after Christ's model of leadership as service, the pope acts as a tyrant and seeks to become lord of lords, in contrast to rulers who are not to dominate others and exercise authority over them.

Christ's workers must not exercise authority over people by commanding, dictating, or trying to control them as rulers do. No human being is to bind other human beings to himself and control them, telling them to do this and forbidding them to do that, commanding and dictating like an officer over soldiers, as the priests and rulers did in Christ's day. After men and women accept the truth they belong to Christ and are to be treated as His property, not as the property of man. Fastening their minds to a person turns them away from God, on whom they must depend to grow in grace. No minister is to demand a church that does his bidding and is ruled by his wisdom, or lead converts to refuse fellowship with those who do not do just as they do. No unwise authority is to be exercised over those who accept truth, and there is to be no wrangling, strife, division, or binding up in separate parties, but true converts press together in Christian unity with the meekness and lowliness of Christ appearing in all that is said and done.

Servant Leadership Applied

A position of influence gives no power to rule over fellow believers, to act as if one's own work is of greatest importance and one's word must be obeyed, or to take God's place. Members are not to be brought under servile control where they must consult leaders in all minor matters of movement, for the dominion exercised by Gentile princes must not be copied in the church. The pattern to follow instead is self-humbling after the Prince of heaven, who laid aside royal robe and kingly crown to become a member of a lowly earthly family as a living example of meekness and humility, opening the way for the most lowly to approach Him as friend. Men placed in responsibility are appointed to be wise helpers and counsellors to fellow workers, not kings and rulers who command one brother to do this and another to do that and dictate how labor shall be done. Their work is to plan and counsel together as brethren, with every worker alike accountable to God's requirements and instructions, with no man made conscience for his fellow and no officer grasping so much authority that he becomes a dictator.

Coercing obedience by authority dishonors God and is the forbidden exercise of dominion, including threatening to withhold pay from workers who do not follow human instruction. Controlling God's workers with prohibitions that place human judgment and will above the Lord's makes self rather than God's way the governing authority. Bringing another person's mind and talents under one person's absolute control follows the Gentile pattern of exercising dominion and authority, while God's order does not make people slaves to one another. No human being is to bind others to himself, telling them to do this and forbidding that and commanding like an officer over soldiers, as the priests and rulers did.

Those who command others must have self-control and represent patience, kindness, long-suffering love, honesty, and self-denial, remaining servants even when entrusted with responsibility. Lifting self up or governing oppressively makes one unfit for office, and position does not permit impatient, boastful, or overbearing conduct. When love for God replaces self-love and Christ is enthroned in the heart, this despotic lording over fellow workers ends. Those in trust must recognize their weakness and depend on God, walk humbly with Him, and put away selfishness, greed, narrow-mindedness, self-exaltation, strife, and vainglory, for self-exalting rule brings dishonor to God. They are to give wise counsel and set an example others can safely follow, honoring the standard Christ has raised.

Pride, ambition, selfishness, love for supremacy, variance, and unholy rivalry are Satan's work to break brotherly union and must be put away, with selfish ambition and seeking the highest place sternly rebuked. Those who seek rank are reminded that they are brethren, called to conversion and humbling of self as a little child, striving for harmony, counseling together, laying aside independent judgment, and working unitedly to serve God and save souls and bodies. No shielding is given to people in high positions when hypocritical or fraudulent, and injustice and unfair dealing are condemned. One believer is not to rule over another or dictate another's individual duty, and one laborer lording it over another is out of place. Such lording does not weaken firmness in duty and principle, for workers are to be honest and steadfast for what is right while dealing with one another and with the fallen and sinful, whom Christ died to redeem from Satan's power, with compassion, sympathy, kindness, courtesy, and pity that helps rather than harms.

No one should make himself a lord over fellow workers or let influence become controlling, and believers are not to contend over who is greatest or divide over status but to work together under Christ for the restoration of God's image in humanity. Those entrusted with authority must treat helpers rightly, give wise counsel, serve as examples of true Christianity, and use God-given abilities in faithful service to bless others. When self and natural inclinations shape efforts, even slight provocation stirs feelings toward misuse of authority and self-driven speaking and acting toward one another. When Christ's Spirit fills the heart, quarreling and striving for power and supremacy cease in harmony and peace.

No worker anywhere is to take power into his own hands to be hard, dictatorial, unmerciful, and overbearing, or to take souls in hand to chastise them, especially those who have erred and are fighting hard to return to soundness of mind and correct principles, for God has given no such work of dominion and correction to any man. Sharp, dictatorial words are forbidden, workers are not to be treated as untrustworthy, no one is to be treated as unfaithful without unmistakable evidence, and bearing down with charges that may be cruelly unjust is forbidden. Even when unfaithfulness is clearly proved, the erring one is not to be dealt with harshly in a way that gives excuse for saying there was harshness, provokes to anger, or arouses the worst feelings in believers or unbelievers. Such severity wounds and bruises souls to everlasting harm and may drive souls to perdition.

No minister is to demand a church that does his bidding and is ruled by his wisdom, or lead converts to refuse fellowship with those who do not act as they do. There is to be no wrangling, strife, division, or binding up in separate parties, but true converts press together in unity with the meekness and lowliness of Christ appearing in all that is said and done, and no unwise authority is to be exercised over those who accept truth, who belong to Christ and are to be treated as His property, not as the property of man. Proudly ruling fellow people, acting contrary to God's Word and justice, and treating workers like machines follows the domineering pattern and means walking away from God, which He abhors. Those who rule over men must not rule as the Gentiles do but must themselves be under the divine Ruler, having learned to control themselves and living quiet, peaceable lives in obedience to the commandments, knowing their work and course through God's supervision, striving to extend a spiritual kingdom of righteousness whose controlling powers are justice and mercy and love.