Janitor becomes boss, son becomes CEO, slave becomes the master, and the student becomes the teacher are all stories known too well throughout history, including the famous Richard Montanez of Frito Lay. These are the outliers and anomalies. They are the stories of hope for the little guy, for the lowest totem, for the least likely.
When you hear, “the greatest will be the least,” what do you think of? Do you see a “Flamin’ Hot” story unfolding? (Matt 23:11, Luke 9:48)
And in Matt 20:26-27, Jesus declares that the way to greatness is through humility and service. “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. Because (I) did not come to BE SERVED but to SERVE, and give (my) life as a ransom for many.”
Does it make any sense?
Jesus told all this to his disciples when there was concern about ranking and they were arguing about status. It was less of a motivational monologue and more of a disciplinary discourse.
With some shocking words, Jesus spells out the backwards plan for success. It is to live last, to serve others. This is the way one rises to the top and it is a flipped formula.
Simply today:
- What ways are you pursuing to make yourself great? How have you been pushing to get your way, to get ahead, to get to the top? What might you need to do instead?
- Who can you serve? Find someone to elevate and a way to lift them up.
1 Corinthians 1:27 teaches us that “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and the weak things to put the powerful to shame.” It’s in this flipped upside down kingdom fashion that wholeness of life is truly found.
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Brett
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