They came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them: “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest. And sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” And He took a child and placed him among them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, “Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.”

Have you ever been ashamed when someone caught you in the middle of a conversation you weren’t proud of? This was a similar moment to what the disciples experienced in this passage. When Jesus addressed the disciples, they were ashamed to tell Him what they were really talking about. Their question exposed what was in their hearts, and they were not proud of it. Instead of heaping on shame through a lecture to tell them they should have known better, Jesus simply revealed the deeper issue that they all needed to address in their hearts.

We all crave greatness. We all want to know our lives matter and are worth something but our search for significance often reflects that of the disciples. We look and compare ourselves to others making ourselves feel better or worse about the place we are. Jesus reminded His disciples the truth we all need to hear, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all” (v. 35). This is the example Jesus Himself set for us.

When we are caught up in the pursuit of our own greatness, we often cast people aside as inconvenient or unworthy of our time. We think of them as interruptions instead of opportunities to serve and show Jesus’s love. But Jesus calls us to a different way. His way isn’t summed up by knowing all the right answers or values or even fighting for the right thing. His way is the life of a servant. You will not achieve greatness as you work harder, do more, or even impress people; true greatness is only found as we surrender to Him and live His way, even if it feels so unnatural to us.

• In what ways have you pursued greatness or significance?
• Why do you think Jesus’s way to greatness comes so unnaturally to us?
• Pray and confess to God how you struggle with pursuing greatness for yourself and ask Him to shape your heart into one of a servant.