The Way To Be First Is To Be Last

-January 31, 2022-

Good morning, happy Monday,

“And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.’”

(Mark 9:35).

Jesus was His way to Jerusalem and the cross. He and His disciples quietly passed through Galilee and arrived to Capernaum. Jesus plainly told them, “…The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day” (Mark 9:31). They didn’t understand what this meant and were afraid to ask Him. Despite all this on His mind, our Savior took the time to deal with an important issue of which one of the them was the greatest.

Jesus asked them, “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?” They kept silent, knowing that they debated who was the greatest. Deep down, they knew their discussion was wrong. Jesus could have come down heavy upon them for such pride and selfishness. Instead, He used the occasion to teach them a very important spiritual principle that would serve them well the rest of their lives. It wasn’t Peter, James, John, or any other disciple. He said, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” To drive home the lesson, He took a little child in His arms and used him as an example of how they should receive one another. As they would a little child, they would receive Him. It was all about humility and service.

To be last of all is to be humble, selfless, and gentle just as Jesus was. This was in sharpe contrast with the pride and egotism of the Pharisees. In the Christian life there is no room for pride or self-importance in any way. Sadly, many in the church today are way too self-absorbed, thinking too highly of themselves. Not only does one need to be last of all, but also a servant of all. In the upper room in John 13, Jesus got down on His hands and knees and washed the feet of each disciple. He took the place of a servant or slave. We can learn so much from this lesson. The way up is to go down, and the way to greatness is through serving.

Leaders in the church need to first be followers and servants to be examples to the congregation. Their words will be more powerful when this is the case, and others will follow their example. May the Lord help us all to be humble servants, putting others first, and taking on menial tasks without fanfare or complaint. We should never call attention to ourselves but point people to Jesus. On more than one occasion, Jesus said, “The last shall be first, and the first shall be last.” This the complete opposite of the world’s way of thinking.

Have a blessed day in humble, selfless, and sacrificial service for the Lord. Stay safe and healthy.

In the service of our King,

Dean