True Greatness
Text: Mark 9:30-41
Core Idea: Jesus redefines true greatness by calling us to humbly value service over status, graciously welcome the least and the forgotten, and joyfully celebrate the unity we have with other believers. We must live for His glory and the joy of others. Let us serve knowing that this is what Christ has done for us.
INTRODUCTION
Good afternoon, church. It is really good to see you. For those of you joining us online, we miss you. We can’t wait to have you back. But wherever you are, I pray that God will powerfully, graciously minister to you today through the Word we’re about to read. We’re exploring the life of Jesus through the Gospel of Mark. Last week, we saw that the disciples’ failure to cast out a demon led to an important lesson on faith and prayer – that we ought to desperately, humbly depend on Him every single day in all that we do. Today, Jesus is about to give us an important lesson on true greatness prompted by another failure from the disciples. Then with that in mind, let’s turn our Bibles to Mark 9:30-41. Let me read this for us.
30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because He was teaching His disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and after three days He will rise.” 32 But they did not understand what He meant and were afraid to ask Him about it. 33 They came to Capernaum. When He was in the house, He asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. 35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” 36 He took a little child whom He placed among them. Taking the child in His arms, He said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me does not welcome Me but the one who sent Me.” 38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” 39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in My name can in the next moment say anything bad about Me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in My name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.”
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
Let’s turn to verse 30. Mark tells us that they left that place and passed through Galilee. We can easily treat this just as a transitional statement, but I think we can gain much more from this – I think it can help us understand the state of Jesus’ heart. This is the last time we’ll see Jesus in Galilee in the Gospel of Mark. Then think with me – for Jesus, Galilee has been the centre of His ministry. This was where He once lived. This was where He called the disciples. This was where He taught the multitude. This was where He ministered to many with compassion and love. No doubt there were many sweet memories – yet He was now passing through it. He wasn’t going to stay because His public ministry there had come to an end. Now, He was on His way to Jerusalem, knowing that the cross was waiting for Him. In fact, this was why He didn’t want anyone to know they were there. Jesus was concentrating His energy and focus on teaching His disciples – preparing them for His crucifixion and their own path of suffering.
So, for the second time, Jesus predicted His death and resurrection to the disciples in verse 31, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and after three days He will rise.” This wasn’t in veiled references or in parables – Jesus spoke plainly describing what it meant for Him to be the Messiah. This is significant because it once again shows us that the death of Jesus was no accident – it was God ordained. It was God’s purpose and God’s plan for Jesus to die. That’s exactly what we read in Isaiah 53:10 where it says, “Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer.” God the Father will deliver His Son into the hands of evil men – and He will die at the hands of humanity for the sins of humanity. Jesus will be killed by the very ones He came to save.
Verse 32, “But they did not understand what He meant.” This made no sense to them. They couldn’t understand how Jesus could be the Messiah and be killed. Jesus even used the title “the Son of Man” for Himself again. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this term, it comes from Daniel 7:14 where the Son of Man is described this way: “He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” No wonder they were confused. The Messiah will come to rule and reign. Then why would Jesus refer to Himself as the glorious Son of Man yet talk about suffering and dying? They didn’t understand but they “were afraid to ask” (Mk. 9:32). Why? Possibly because they witnessed Peter getting rebuked (“Get behind me, Satan!”) after the first Passion prediction in Mark 8:33 – they probably didn’t want to provoke Jesus in any way. Whatever the case was, their minds weren’t occupied with Jesus’ death and resurrection – it was very clear that their minds were occupied with something else. And this sets the context for Jesus’ lesson on true greatness. Three things from this passage:
True Greatness Values Service Over Status
True Greatness Welcomes the Least and the Forgotten
True Greatness Celebrates Unity with Other Believers
1) True Greatness Values Service Over Status
Let’s turn to verse 33. After arriving at Capernaum, Jesus asked them a question, “What were you arguing about on the road?” Verse 34, “They kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.” Now, why were they so focused on greatness? In order to answer this, we must first remember that they really didn’t understand what Jesus was talking about – His crucifixion. So, as they made their way to Jerusalem, they still expected that upon their arrival, Jesus, whom they left all to follow, will finally and surely establish His Kingdom. He would exercise His authority, He would bring an end to the Roman oppression, and He would restore Israel’s greatness in the world. And most importantly, they anticipated that they would receive unique recognition being the chosen Twelve. They saw all kinds of greatness in their future. They were fixated on greatness. In fact, they were so focused on greatness that an argument broke out between them as to who was the greatest among them. We’re not given the specifics about what started the argument, but I wonder if Peter, James, and John were bragging about their experience on the mountain – seeing Jesus transfigured. And you can’t help but wonder if the other nine disciples felt hurt, envious, and maybe even bitter for not being chosen to go with Jesus – for missing out. And this unhealthy comparison could’ve initiated the dispute. But whatever the case was, something that I really want all of us to see is how jarring this picture is – Jesus, walking alone, walking ahead of them as His mind was occupied with the cross that awaited Him, the suffering He will experience, the pain He must endure for the ones He dearly loved, having to leave the very place that He has been calling home (Galilee), and yet His disciples were walking behind Him, arguing about who was the greatest among them.
Friends, I hope that all of us are disturbed by this scene – that it will make us uncomfortable. But tragically, this is what sin does to us. Sin fills us with a desire for our own greatness when Christ emptied Himself for us. Sin presses us into the centre of our universe though Christ alone is worthy to be at the centre of all created things – including all of our lives. Sin makes everything about us when it is all about Him. Isn’t that why it feels so good to win an argument, to get recognized and promoted before everyone else, to drive a better car than your neighbor, to see others look up to you? Sin causes us to forget God, forget others, forget the very reason we were given life, which really is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Just think about this past week: How have you put yourself at the centre of your universe? Was there a moment of self-righteousness, selfishness, arrogance? Justifying, minimizing our sin because we’re hurting, because we’re exhausted? Ignoring someone in need, yelling senselessly at your children, spending money that you don’t have on something that you don’t need in order to make you happy? Brothers and sisters, we should be disturbed by our own sin – the tendency to make everything about ourselves. We’re no different from the disciples – we’re just as ignorant, self-centred, and prideful as the disciples were.
Knowing this, to address the sin that was blinding them, Jesus said this in verse 35: “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” James Edwards says, “At no point does the way of Jesus diverge more sharply from the way of the world than on the question of greatness.” This was not what the disciples were dreaming about. They didn’t foresee this in their future. They weren’t anticipating being last, being servants of all. They were thinking of self-exaltation, not self-denial. They were thinking of recognition and rank, not taking up their cross. Yet as the Suffering Servant, Jesus was calling them to choose the way of the cross. Here, notice that Jesus wasn’t dismissing their desire to be great – He simply redefined greatness. He challenged the fundamental assumption about greatness from the world’s perspective and gave them a definition of greatness that would get God’s attention: humility. Greatness is not about power, position, possessions, or performance; it’s not about who you are and what you’ve accomplished – greatness begins with the attitude of the heart. And humility is how you become great in the eyes of God in a way that matters to God. True greatness is demonstrated through serving, not attaining status. That’s exactly what we see in Jesus’ life: His greatness came through His humble service on the cross.
Now, part of the problem for us Christians is that we often misunderstand humility. Humility is not being a doormat – being passive for people to walk all over you. One of the best definitions of humility that I heard is from Pastor Tim Keller who said, “The essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less.” Isn’t that amazing? We’re thinking of ourselves less – and instead, we’re thinking more about Jesus, we’re thinking more about others. False humility delights in being recognized that you are last; true humility delights in making others feel like they’re first. Then brothers and sisters, let me ask you: “Do you aim to serve others humbly every moment of your life? Do you speak in such a way that will build others up and edify them so that they feel like they’re cared for, loved? Do you relate to your spouse, children, friends, co-workers in ways that will elevate God’s glory or are you fixated on yourself? Are you motivated to act by the needs of others or only by the desires and comforts of yourself? Do you joyfully use your money, time, and energy to serve others for His glory? Are you living as a servant or are you living as a king?”
Then how do we cultivate this kind of humble heart that is ready to serve? Of course, it begins with reflecting on the wonder of the cross. John Stott once said, “Every time we look at the cross Christ seems to be saying to us, ‘I am here because of you. It is your sin I am bearing, your curse I am suffering, your debt I am paying, your death I am dying.’ Nothing in history or in the universe cuts us down to size like the cross. All of us have inflated views of ourselves, especially in self-righteousness, until we have visited a place called Calvary. It is there, at the foot of the cross, that we shrink to our true size.” How can anyone be arrogant when you stand beside the cross? This should be more than enough to humble us.
But here are some other practical ways to cultivate humility in our hearts – three things. First, begin and end your day expressing gratitude to God. This is something that I’ve been trying to do more regularly. I actually have something called a “gratitude journal” where I write down just one thing I’m thankful for every day. I try to be specific and detailed which often leads me to prayer. Maybe that’s something you can do as well. This is helpful because you cannot be proud, arrogant when you’re daily reminding yourself that everything you have is a gift from God. Be thankful. Second, intentionally encourage someone every day. Our words are powerful. Our words matter. Our words can bring life to someone. This is not just about being polite or nice, and definitely not about flattering them. Speak words that will build them up which means that you can exhort them, counsel them, comfort them, and even warn or rebuke them in order to keep them on the path of holiness. I encourage you to do this today – it could be your family, friends, or church members who need to be lifted up with your words. Lastly, find ways to serve someone every day. Without complaining, without getting bitter, find ways, small or big, to serve someone not to get something in return but simply because you saw and tasted that the Lord is good. Serve them unconditionally, sacrificially, and joyfully. Those who pursue true greatness are those who elevate others.
2) True Greatness Welcomes the Least and the Forgotten
Let’s turn to verse 36. Here, Jesus took a little child and put the child in His arms. Now, for modern readers, it’s easy to misunderstand this point because we live in a child-centred, child-friendly world where a lot of things are designed for the pleasures and honor of children. But in the Greco-Roman world, children were not at the centre of their lives. Unlike us, children were not regarded as innocent, pure, and humble but rather needy, dependent, and insignificant. They didn’t contribute anything to the family and until they were able to do so, they were considered a burden, an inconvenience. It’s unthinkable from our perspective but that’s how they thought of children. But look at what Jesus did with the child: He hugged, embraced, and welcomed the child. This must have left the disciples puzzled. What was going on here? Jesus wasn’t drawing their attention to this child as the model of humility for the disciples to emulate – rather, the child was being used as an illustration of insignificance, of someone with low status in the culture. This child represented those who were the last – the least and the forgotten. A few weeks ago, in chapter 10, we saw the importance of becoming like a child in our salvation, but here, Jesus was trying to show us the importance of receiving someone like a child. In other words, Jesus was calling them not to fight for rank and prestige but to serve particularly those without rank and prestige. They were not superior to all but were called to be servants of all by the One who came not to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many (Mk. 10:45). Listen to what Jesus said in verse 37, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me does not welcome Me but the one who sent Me.”
Now, this obviously is not easy because Jesus is essentially calling us to love those who may be difficult to love – which means that it will require sacrifice, it will require humility, it will require no calculation. We are not to go to people for what they can provide or what they can give in return, but rather just unconditionally love them simply for who they are. Who in the world can do this? We are saturated with sin. Then how is this made possible? This is why we should never divorce the teaching on discipleship from His messiahship – His death and resurrection. Christ alone makes this possible for us because He is the One who takes away our sins. Through Him, sin no longer governs our lives, sin no longer dictates what we do, and sin no longer stands in the way. Through Him, we have been made free from sin. Listen to what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:16 describing what happens when sin loses its grip over us, “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.” In other words, we begin to see others as God sees – not as unimportant, insignificant, but as beautifully, wonderfully, fearfully created in the image of God. This is the key to welcoming the least and the forgotten.
Then how should we apply this truth to our lives? In the context of your home, school, work, and church, think about the people you may be annoyed with, people you’ve been ignoring, those you honestly felt like weren’t worth your time, those you felt like were an inconvenience to you, those who are often left alone. Be on the lookout for them and pray that you’ll begin to see them as infinitely valuable and lovable. Then reach out to them. Speak to them. Share your life with them. Listen to them. I pray that the Spirit will convict your heart today to live this out knowing that Jesus inconvenienced Himself for us, gave Himself for us all because He loved us. May we follow in His steps. This is how we become great.
3) True Greatness Celebrates Unity with Other Believers
Let’s turn to verse 38. We’re not sure why but Jesus’ teaching provoked this reaction from John, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” Let’s think about this for a moment. They intervened because he was not one of us – the Greek literally says, “Because he was not following us.” Isn’t that a little strange? I expected John to say, “Because he was not following You, Jesus.” Instead, they were still so focused on themselves. They stopped this man because they perceived their call as the Twelve as one of status, rank, privilege, importance, and superiority, not service. They were the chosen ones, and this man was unauthorized – a nobody. He wasn’t following them – he wasn’t one of them. What makes this even more strange is the fact that they were forbidding someone who was effectively casting out demons – something that they couldn’t do just in the previous passage. They weren’t able to get it done and they were now stopping someone who was able to get it done in the name of Jesus. I don’t know about you, but that makes them look really, really petty. According to John, it didn’t really matter if this man was doing the right thing – what mattered was that he wasn’t doing it their way. Blinded by their pride, instead of celebrating with this man, the disciples were utterly unable to recognize the good that this man was doing for the Lord.
This is how Jesus responded in verse 39, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a miracle in My name can in the next moment say anything bad about Me for whoever is not against us is for us.” Jesus didn’t commend them but corrected them. You see, this man was a genuine follower of Jesus Christ – he was sincerely dependent on the authority and the power of Jesus. Therefore, Jesus was saying, “Why would you stop him? He’s doing this in My name, which means that he can’t be against me.” Then through this, what Jesus wanted the disciples to know was that though the Twelve will play a unique role in redemptive history, the plan and purpose of God will not be confined to them. In fact, through them, Jesus wanted the gospel to spread beyond the Jewish border to reach the ends of the earth – to every tribe, nation, and tongue. Then this teaching was meant to cultivate a welcoming openness in His disciples toward all the genuine followers of Jesus who may not be like them.
What do we learn from this? It shows us that we too should have the same welcoming openness to every genuine Christian and every gospel-proclaiming church around us. We’re not in competition. We’re on the same team. If they love the Lord and proclaim the gospel and Him crucified, they’re not against us – they are for us. They belong to Him just as we are to Him. Then we should celebrate what’s taking place in their midst. We should pray for other local churches around the city. We should support them. We should partner with them. And this is a good thing because our church can’t do everything. In fact, that’s the very reason why God has placed many churches in this city. We may be good at something but still growing in other areas. But there might be another church that’s good at what we may be lacking but still growing in areas we’re good at. So, we come together to do greater things for the Lord. For example, we are blessed to be here at Gibson Centre, and we have an amazing opportunity to partner with them to reach the neighborhood here. For those of you who don’t know, this is a community centre started by Toronto Christian Community Church with a desire to make this place a platform for holistic outreach for this neighborhood. Inspired by Micah 6:8, which says, “Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God,” they seek to serve the locals and those in need with the compassion and hope of Jesus Christ – and what they do is amazing. Of course, COVID has restricted their ministries, but I heard that they’re slowly starting more ministries for the youth and the seniors – they have a food bank, a clothing bank; they open this place for the homeless to sleep over in the winter, and so much more. We’re actually in conversation with them right now to look for ways to partner with them. So, I hope that many of us will joyfully join us in serving alongside them to truly be a lighthouse for the people around here.
Brothers and sisters, our passion shouldn’t be to be the largest church in this city. Now, this is not to say that being small is always better. Not necessarily, which is why I’m praying that God will grow us numerically and spiritually in accordance with His will and grace. But our greatest passion should be to become a great church in the eyes of God – by humbly serving, graciously loving, and joyfully celebrating the partnership we have with other believers all because we have been saved and united through what Christ has accomplished on the cross.
Just one more thing before we finish. Verse 41, “Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in My name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.” Here, Jesus was broadening their understanding of ministry – that what mattered wasn’t just the mighty works like healing and casting out demons, but that something as small as giving a cup of water mattered to God. Of course, giving a cup of water in their climate would normally be part of their culture, but this small act of service would immediately be transformed into something significant, something that would honor God if it’s done to another believer. In fact, it would be so significant that it will be rewarded by God Himself. In other words, small or big, God will notice our humble service – He won’t overlook it but will generously bless it. Brothers and sisters, all acts of service matter if you’re doing it in His name for the benefit of other believers. Then there are two ways we can apply this truth today: first, thank and encourage those who are serving to make our Sunday service possible – our worship team, the media team, the welcoming team, the children’s ministry team, those who pray, those who read the psalm, those who set up and clear the chairs, those who set up and clear the communion elements, Sarah who uploads the sermon every week, and others I’m forgetting to mention. Without them, this would not be possible. So, today, tell them how much you appreciate them. Second, join them to serve our community. With you, our community will only get better. Then get involved. If you’re not sure where, speak to me – and we would love to see you get plugged in.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, Jesus redefines true greatness. It calls us to humbly value service over status, graciously welcome the least and the forgotten, and joyfully celebrate the unity we have with other believers. We must live for His glory and the joy of others. In a matter of days, Jesus will be getting down on His knees to wash the feet of His disciples as a way to say, “This is how you become great. Then do as I have done for you.” Friends, if Christ came to tear down the dividing wall by His blood, let us not build it back up. Rather, let us serve them knowing that this is what Christ has done for us. We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).
Discussion questions
True greatness values service over status. In this regard, how is Jesus the perfect expression of true greatness? How can you cultivate this heart of humble service in your life today?
True greatness welcomes the least and the forgotten. In the context of your home, school, work, and church, how can you serve those around you – especially those who others perceive as insignificant and those who aren’t pursued?
True greatness celebrates unity with other believers. How do John and Jesus see the man casting out demons differently? Can you relate to John’s attitude here – why would it be sometimes difficult to be glad about the ministry of others? Spend some time praying for Lighthouse community and other local churches in the city.