Serve to be great

The gospel today reminds us of a truth stated by Christ himself.

Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.
For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many."

We must serve others first.

We must die of ourselves and our worldly needs, concerns and attitudes, and allow to live to and through us.

When you ask people what they want to be, usually they say they want to be great. I want to be a good pilot. I want to be a great doctor. I want to be a successful businessman.

In the gospel, Jesus gives us his definition of greatness – one who serves and puts others first. Servant Leaders. Being a servant comes first before leading. Christ, the Son of God, came into this world not to rule us, but to serve us. By doing such, he gave us a standard of what greatness is.

It is also interesting to note the first part of the gospel. Jesus said a lot of things – that he would be handed over, be condemned to death, mocked, spat upon, scourged, suffer, and eventually die… then he said after three days, he will rise again. After, James and John asked to be seated by his side when he comes in glory. Although we know this question led to Jesus teaching them about greatness, it is interesting to note that amidst all the challenges Jesus said, they focused on the end result – Jesus rising from the dead and coming in his glory. They did not focus on the challenges along the way, but kept their eyes on the prize, on the victory that is Christ’s.

Ganun din ba tayo? When faced with adversity and challenges, are we focused on the victory, on the end result or do we let the challenges take away our strength and out focus on God? What is my definition of greatness? Am I willing to be great, not just in this world, but in the eyes of God?

Dear God,

I thank you for this day. Thank you for waking me up, and for giving me another chance to serve you. Father God, as I read your word today, help me put this into practice. May I be willing to serve others just like you served us. As I face the challenges of this life, may my eyes remain on you and may I be motivated not by what this world can offer, but what you have prepared for me. Amen.

God bless!

In Christ,

-g-