Who Is Greater?

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.  

Luke 22:24-27 

In teaching the essence of leadership to His disciples Christ asked a provocative question. He asked, ‘For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?’ The natural answer to that is that the ‘greater’ person is the one who is being served. Christ turns that on its head. He was indisputably greater in every way than the disciples; yet He chose to be among them as the One who served. This example holds true for all time and in every criteria by which we estimate leadership. That leadership is the greatest which serves most. Human estimation, devoid of spiritual wisdom, accounts those who sit at the table to be the greatest. True greatness of the highest order demonstrates leadership by performing the greatest service to others. We often encounter the aphorism, ‘Leadership is not about being the best. Leadership is about making everyone else better.’ No one else has done this better than Christ. He exercised His leadership on such a massive scale that it resulted in the redemption of, ‘a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues.’ This is true greatness. This is superb leadership.  

Our Wise and Holy God, 
we rejoice at the way You teach us through Christ. 
We praise You that, from Him, 
we learn how best to serve. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning