Good morning, and welcome to Grace For Another Morning.
“But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” — Matthew 20:26–28 (KJV)
Matthew 20:26–28The world has a fairly predictable definition of greatness.
Great people have influence. They have titles. They have people working for them. They sit at the head of the table, make the decisions, receive the recognition, and enjoy the privileges that come with being important.
Then Jesus turns the whole thing upside down.
“If you want to be great, serve.”
That is not how most of us would write the formula.
We naturally want to move upward. Jesus points downward.
We want recognition. Jesus points toward service.
We want to be noticed. Jesus tells us to notice someone else.
And Jesus did not merely teach this principle. He lived it.
The One who deserved to be served came to serve.
The King of kings walked among ordinary people. He touched the sick. He welcomed children. He fed the hungry. He washed feet. He gave His time to people others ignored.
And ultimately, He gave His life.
That is the part of Christianity that can be easy to admire and difficult to imitate.
Serving sounds noble until it becomes inconvenient.
It sounds spiritual until someone needs something when we are tired.
It sounds beautiful until nobody notices what we did.
It sounds Christlike until someone receives the credit for something we helped accomplish.
That is often where our hearts are exposed.
Sometimes we do not simply want to serve. We want to be seen serving.
Jesus offers something different.
Service that does not require applause.
Kindness that does not demand repayment.
Faithfulness that may never receive public recognition.
Love expressed in ordinary acts that perhaps only God sees.
A meal prepared.
A phone call made.
A burden carried.
A lonely person visited.
A prayer offered quietly.
A task completed without anyone knowing who did it.
None of these things may look impressive by the world's standards.
But the kingdom of God does not measure greatness the way the world does.
Yesterday Jesus told us that the last would be first.
Today He shows us what that looks like.
The way upward in His kingdom often begins by kneeling down.
Grace for Today
You do not need a title, platform, position, or audience to be useful in the kingdom of God.
There is probably someone near you today whom you can encourage, help, listen to, pray for, or serve.
It may seem like a small thing.
In the hands of Christ, small acts of love are rarely small.
A Prayer for Today
Lord Jesus,
You had every right to be served, yet You came to serve.
Forgive me when I become more concerned with recognition than faithfulness, or when I want to be noticed more than I want to help.
Teach me to see the people around me.
Give me a willing heart, humble hands, and eyes that notice needs others may overlook.
Help me serve without needing applause and love without keeping score.
Make my life look more like Yours.
Amen.
You do not have to do something impressive for God today.
Serve the person He has already placed in front of you.
He sees the acts of love that nobody else notices.