The Path to Greatness

The following blog is a summary of a message preached by Pastor Eddie Lawrence.

Watch the Sermon HERE!

In Mark 10, we find a powerful teaching about what it truly means to be great in God's kingdom. This passage reveals a stark contrast between the world's definition of greatness and Jesus' definition - a lesson that remains profoundly relevant for believers today.

The Context: Jesus Predicts His Death for the Third Time

Jesus and His disciples were on their way to Jerusalem when He took them aside to explain what would soon happen to Him. For the third time, He told them:

"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes and they will condemn him to death and deliver him to the Gentiles, and they will mock him and scourge him and spit on him and kill him. And the third day he will rise again."

Despite the gravity of this announcement, what happens next reveals how little the disciples understood Jesus' mission.

What Does Worldly Ambition Look Like?

Immediately after Jesus predicts His suffering and death, James and John approach Him with a bold request: "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask." When Jesus asks what they want, they reply, "Grant us that we may sit one on your right hand and the other on your left in your glory."

This request reveals several things about worldly ambition:

• It's often self-focused rather than others-focused

• It seeks positions of power and prominence

• It can be manipulative ("do for us whatever we ask")

• It creates division (the other ten disciples became "greatly displeased")

 

Jesus' response is telling: "You do not know what you ask." He then asks if they can drink the cup He drinks and be baptized with His baptism - references to His coming suffering. They confidently claim they can, not understanding what they're agreeing to.

How Does Jesus Redefine Greatness?

When the other disciples become angry at James and John's request, Jesus gathers them all together for a crucial teaching moment:

"You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many."

In this powerful statement, Jesus completely reframes what greatness means in His kingdom. The path to greatness isn't about climbing over others to reach the top - it's about serving others from the bottom.

Three Key Principles for the Path to True Greatness

1. Don't Jockey for First Place

The world teaches us to compete, compare, and climb over others to reach the top. Jesus teaches a different way. This doesn't mean we shouldn't strive for excellence or do our best. Rather, it's about examining our motives and considering how our ambitions affect others.

Like crabs in a bucket pulling down any that try to escape, worldly ambition often involves trampling others to elevate ourselves. But Christ-centered ambition shines His light through our excellence, not for self-glorification but for God's glory.

2. Let the Reality of Suffering Temper Your Ambition

The disciples were fixated on glory while ignoring Jesus' words about suffering. We often do the same - we love the breakthrough, the glory, and the miracles, but we forget that following Christ also involves suffering.

Scripture tells us that "all those that live godly lives in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." When we're going one way and the world is going another, conflict is inevitable. Jesus lived a perfect life of love and grace, yet faced intense opposition from both the world and religious leaders.

True greatness requires compassion for those who suffer. Jesus was repeatedly "moved with compassion" when encountering hurting people. Our ambitions must be tempered by awareness of others' pain and a willingness to help bear their burdens.

3. Conflict Doesn't Start from a Servant Heart

The conflict among the disciples arose from wrong ambition. Jesus didn't rebuke them for wanting to be great - He redefined what greatness means. While the world's path to greatness involves having authority over others, Jesus' path involves serving others.

When conflict arises in our relationships, we should pause and ask: "How can I serve this person? How can I bring Christ's love into this situation? How can I add value to who they are by how I respond?"

The Ultimate Example: Jesus Himself

Jesus didn't just teach this principle - He lived it. When the disciples asked for positions of honor, Jesus reminded them that He came "not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

The term "ransom" referred to the price paid to set a slave free. Jesus paid the ultimate price for our freedom, bearing God's wrath in our place. He who knew no sin became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ.

This is the free gift of salvation - not earned by our works or deserved by our goodness, but paid in full by Christ's sacrifice. When Jesus declared "It is finished" from the cross, our debt was paid completely.

Life Application

This week, consider how you can apply Jesus' definition of greatness to your daily life:

• Examine your ambitions: Are they self-focused or others-focused? Are you seeking to serve or to be served?

 

• Look for opportunities to serve: Who in your life needs your help, encouragement, or support? How can you put their needs before your own?

 

• Respond to conflict with a servant heart: The next time you find yourself in a disagreement, ask how you can serve the other person rather than "win" the argument.

 

• Be sensitive to suffering: Ask God to help you notice the hurting people around you and to be a messenger of hope, love, grace, and truth.

 

• Remember Christ's example: Jesus gave His life as a ransom for many. How can you follow His example of sacrificial love?

Ask yourself: In what areas of my life am I still pursuing greatness according to the world's definition? What would change if I fully embraced Jesus' path to greatness through serving others? Who specifically is God calling me to serve this week?

True greatness isn't about position, power, or prestige - it's about following Christ's example of humble service and sacrificial love.