THROUGH THE PATH OF SERVICE

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on January 5, 2022 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group: January 5, 2022 from Luke 22:24-30

Theme: In Jesus’ kingdom, the path to true greatness is through becoming a servant in His name.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

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Our Lord, on the night of His final dinner with them, had just given His disciples some very sad and grievous news. One from among them was about to betray Him to death.

This, of course, did not come as a surprise to Him. He knew in advance that He would be betrayed, arrested, tried, and crucified. He had even told His disciples on several occasions that this would happen. He let them know that He was laying down His life in service to them—so that they, through Him, could be saved. But what He was now revealing to them was that it would be one of them, sitting at the table and dining with Him, who would betray Him to the cross. This led them all to search their hearts. We’re told in Luke 22:23, “Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.” You can almost imagine the sorrow and hear the questions that would have run through their minds.

But it apparently wasn’t long before a very predictable aspect of human nature would show itself. It’s likely that they went from a time of wondering who would do such a thing, to then making personal resolves of commitment to the Lord (as Peter had done), to perhaps even relating stories of one another’s devotion and service to Him, and then to testimonies of individual sacrifice and devotion, finally to the question of which of them was truly the greatest among them.

We might roll our eyes; but we shouldn’t roll them too far around. We would probably have fallen into the same pattern on that night. We each have defended our own sense of greatness in our own time. And this particular event led the Lord to teach a very important lesson to them—and to us. It’s a lesson that, as citizens of His kingdom, we need to learn over and over again. Luke tells us, in Luke 22:24-30;

Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.

“But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:24-30).

In this story—on this very sacred night of our Lord’s sacrifice for us—He showed us a valuable lesson about how things work in His kingdom and among His followers. Jesus shows us that, in His kingdom, the path to true greatness is through becoming a servant in His name.

* * * * * * * * * *

Now; this was not the first time that this kind of discussion came up. We’re told, for example, about an earlier occasion when He told them what was going to happen to Him. No sooner had He told them that He would be betrayed into the hands of men, than we’re told;

Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great” (Luke 9:46-48).

There was another occasion—again, right after He had told them what was about to happen to Him—when two of His disciples came to Him and asked that they be permitted to sit on His right and left hand when He took rule over His kingdom. They asked this in such a way as to elevate themselves over the other disciples. And it’s then that we’re told;

But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25-28).

It’s interesting that this seemed to happen after the Lord spoke of His sacrifice. But it’s important to point out that in none of these stories did our Lord condemn the idea of pursuing greatness. Greatness in our Lord’s kingdom is not a bad thing to desire. Rather, the problem is in how it is being sought. And the fact that the disciples—men who were closest to the Lord Jesus in His earthly ministry, and who had the greatest advantage of instruction from Him that anyone could have—fell repeatedly to this temptation should serve as a warning to us. We are not exempt from it either. We can easily adopt the world’s method of the pursuit of greatness.

So; let’s learn from their experience. In verse 24, we’re told about …

1. THE DISPUTE (v. 24).

We’re told in verse 24, “Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.” Do you notice the word “also”? That’s a word that connects what was happening in verse 24 with what was happening in verse 23. Back then, after hearing of the fact that one of them would betray the Lord, they began a discussion among themselves over who could do such a thing. It was in the context of that question that they had begun to discuss among themselves which of them was the greatest.

We probably shouldn’t think of this as a harsh or unfriendly argument. The single word that’s here translated “should be considered” is one that speaks of something “appearing” or “presumed” to be a certain way. It may have been that no one in particular was claiming that they themselves were the greatest. And in fact, the word for the nature of their discussion—here translated “dispute”—is one that is formed by two Greek words put together: the word for the love of a friend (phileō) and the word for victory (nikos). Clearly, there was a dispute among them; because that’s what the word philoneikia means; but in the other stories of this kind of dispute between them, a completely different Greek word was used. It’s most likely then that this wasn’t a harsh argument at all; but rather something more like a friendly rivalry—or even a thoughtful inquiry on the part of some over which of the others might appear to be the greatest.

But consider how inappropriate the whole discussion was to the situation! Here was the Lord Jesus telling them that He was about to be betrayed and crucified—during the Passover meal—and with Him clearly identifying Himself as the Passover Lamb who would be atoning for their sin. We so easily forget Him! This makes us think of the great hymn by Isaac Watts:

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

But our Lord is always compassionate and patient toward us. He used the occasion to teach these disciples once again what He had taught them before. This leads us next to …

2. THE LESSON (vv. 25-27).

Again, it wasn’t wrong that they were having a discussion about greatness. Rather, what was wrong was the way that greatness was being sought by them. In verse 25, our Lord recognized and described the way that this present world system seeks and defines greatness: “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’” That’s the way this world does it. It has flowcharts that define levels of authority. There are CEOs, and vice-presidents, and overseers, and under-secretaries of oversight, and mere underlings. It’s a top-down standard; and greatness is pursued through upward mobility. “But not so among you,” as our Lord says in verse 26; “on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.”

You might say that, in our Lord’s kingdom, the pathway to greatness is like a reversal of the principle of gravity—whatever goes up must first come down. This was something that the apostle Peter had learned—perhaps the hard way. In 1 Peter 5:5-7, he wrote;

Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for

“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:5-7).

The Lord Jesus gave the most wonderful example of this lesson by pointing to Himself. He told them, in verse 27, “For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.” It may have been that He spoke those words immediately after He had demonstrated Himself as a servant in an unforgettable way. It was during this very meal that He rose from the table, wrapped a cloth around Himself, and washed the disciples’ feet—drying them with the cloth. The disciples were stunned by this. Peter even—at first—refused to allow the Lord to wash his feet, but later submitted. And when it was all over, we’re told;

So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” (John 13:12-17).

Truly, the Greatest among them became the Servant to all of them. He has shown us—by His own example—how greatness is achieved in His kingdom.

And let’s remember that. when following His path, greatness truly is the result. The last few verses clearly show us this; because He went on, in verses 28-30, to give …

3. THE PROMISE (vv. 28-30).

He told these disciples—who had been disputing among themselves over ‘greatness’—that none of them who followed Him would fail to experience true greatness. He said, “But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (vv. 28-30).

When our Lord spoke these words, it’s most likely that Judas had already gone and was no longer with the group. He did not continue with the Lord in His trials. But the others did—although, as we will soon see, they did so imperfectly. But they truly gave up all to follow Him. They went the path that does not lead to greatness in the eyes of this world. And yet, He promised that it will lead to greatness in His kingdom.

* * * * * * * * * *

On another occasion, our Lord had just gotten through talking to a man who had achieved ‘greatness’ according to the standards of this world. He was a ‘rich young ruler”. And yet, he went away from the Lord unfulfilled—giving the disciples an example of how hard it is to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Peter, however, said that he and the others had left all to follow Jesus. It was then that Jesus told them;

“Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matthew 19:28-30).

Let’s remember that that’s our Lord’s path to greatness. It’s not the same as this world’s. He Himself has demonstrated this to us. Let’s follow Him; for in His kingdom, the path to true greatness is through the trail that He has blazed for us—that of becoming a servant in His name.