Kingdom Greatness
Jesus has become a great man in his society. He is a big deal, and has influence over many as crowds flock to him and the social and religious elite interact with him. But on the way to Jerusalem, he starts to let his disciples in on a secret: He is going to die when they get there. But that's not what great Rabbis do, right? Does Jesus' death spell the end of his greatness? Jesus once again flips expectations on their head, as he redefines greatness in these chapters. He says: to be great, you must be a servant, and you must serve, protect and welcome the least among you. This radical reframing of greatness helps us see that Jesus' death is not the end of his greatness, but in fact it is the most profound display of Kingdom Greatness, and Jesus is the truly great one. The disciples wish to be great. Jesus does not condemn this desire, instead saying 'if you want to be great, this is what it looks like.' Will we pursue greatness as Jesus presents it?
