Matthew 20:26–27

No doubt it seemed a very right thing to put down these two brothers who were so full of themselves. But why were they so indignant? Their pride was wounded; they too were full of themselves. Christ was not filled with indignation — it was a sorrow to Him. But they were full of hot feeling against the two brothers. We have to take care. Often where we seek to pull down those who seek to exalt themselves, there is self on our part too.

How easy it was, and still is, for the disciples of Jesus to take up the standards and customs of the world around them. They take for granted that, because everybody seems to be doing it, it must be the right thing to do. Again and again our Lord would say to us, "It shall not be so among you." The nations have their great men, who lord their authority over people. Among disciples of the Lord, greatness looks completely different. There true greatness means taking the lowly place of service to others — serving the Lord by serving them.

There is a difference between the two words. The word translated "minister" means a servant. But in verse 27 it is a bondman or slave. Do you want to be really great according to the principles of My kingdom? Go down as low as you can. Do you want to be the greatest? Go down the lowest of all. Whoever has least of self is greatest in the Lord's eyes.

We might be prepared at times to serve some great person, or some devoted saint, and exalt ourselves by doing it. But are we prepared to be the "servant of all?"

Man's greatness means pushing self to the highest place, at the expense of others, in the company of the greatest people. God's greatness appears in a Man who comes into the lowest place and keeps company with the insignificant and despised.

I find that in these times the principle of these passages makes them of great value. It concerns a type of authority that no condition of the church can weaken. All other authority might be lost, this will only shine the more. It is exercised by the direct action of the Spirit of God in service. Besides, whoever seeks this authority will not have it. But whoever makes himself servant of all, as Christ did — from the heart, moved by the love of Christ working in him — will get it.

The world's officer wears all the badges of present power. The source of his authority is visible, and its exercise is plain to the eye. The source of authority in the church is invisible. It comes from above, from the ascended Jesus, and it works in real spiritual control and guidance. The great object is that the person through whom it is exercised should so lose his prominence that Jesus, and not the man himself, should be exalted.

He who will one day be supreme must first be a servant. Only the path of service reaches the place of supremacy. The Lord said, "Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave." In this the Lord Himself is the perfect example of His own teaching, for He can say, "I am among you as the one who serves."

There is a difference between the two words. The word translated "minister" means a servant. But in verse 27 it is a bondman or slave. Do you want to be really great according to the principles of My kingdom? Go down as low as you can. Do you want to be the greatest? Go down the lowest of all. Whoever has least of self is greatest in the Lord's eyes.

The word for minister in verse 26 is "deacon." The word for servant in verse 27 is "bondman." That is the word Paul uses for Timothy and himself in the opening verse of his letter to the Philippians. Paul was above all a bondman of Jesus Christ. Measure him by the standard that rules in the kingdom of heaven, and he will not be found small.

The flesh does not show itself only in the fault of one person or another. How do we behave when the faults of others are on display? The anger that broke out in the ten showed the pride of their own hearts, just as much as the two who wanted the best place. If unselfish love had been at work, their ambition would surely have been a cause for sorrow and shame.

The mistake the disputing disciples had made was to think of His Kingdom like the kingdoms of the nations. He dispels this idea; it would be the very opposite of what it is in the kingdoms of the nations. The greatest in His Kingdom are those who are servants, and the bondman is the first. He Himself, the Son of Man, came to serve. These are blessed words indeed, lowering all that is of self, dethroning pride and ambition.

Anyone who wants to be great and to take the lead among Christians has completely falsified the Christian character. He will be the last of all. The true way to hold the highest place is to serve, counting yourself the slave of what other disciples need… Seeking your own exaltation is only the selfishness of the flesh. It is the spirit of the world, which is hostile to God. Love delights to serve — this is what Christ did. Pride and selfishness love to be served, and to come before others.

To be somebody is the desire of fallen man, the world's spirit; to give up all in love and obedience is Christ's, who alone really had all things. It is our pattern now. Greatness according to Him is to be a true servant; and to be chief is to be a slave, as He became.

The Son of Man Himself is the shining example of service of this kind. Who was ever as great as He was in His original state? Then "a thousand thousands served him" (Dan. 7:10). Who took so low a place, serving others? Who carried service so far as "to give His life as a ransom for many"? For this reason alone, even apart from anything else, the first place must be His. Those who follow Him most closely in lowly service in this day will be chief in that day.

Whoever will one day be supreme must first be a servant. Only the path of service leads to the place of supremacy, and this is what the Lord said… In this the Lord Himself is the perfect example of His own teaching. He can say, "I am among you as the one who serves" (Luke 22:27).