Who Is Greatest?

By Phyllis Weibel

March 1, 2012

Matthew 23: 11-12. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

The more lowly your service to others, the greater you are. To be the greatest, be a servant. But those who think themselves great shall be disappointed and humbled; and those who humble themselves shall be exalted.

We should be willing to meet the needs of others. We should forget self and focus on what our service may mean to a child or a young adult who needs to know the truth of God's Word.

Jesus challenged the culture's norms. To him, greatness comes from serving/giving of yourself to help God and others. Service keeps us aware of others' needs, and it stops us from focusing only on ourselves. Jesus came as a servant.

In prayer, as we remember and lift up the names of those who are sick, we most certainly want God to heal them, but we should ask God for the strength and fervor to carry on when we are not feeling strong. Let us ask God to wipe our eyes clean of "narrow-mindedness" and to give us insight how we might manage our time and money to serve others. Meeting their needs is serving Christ.

Every day we can show acts of mercy. These acts do not depend on wealth, ability, or intelligence; they are simple acts freely given and feely received. Jesus demands our personal involvement in caring for others' needs.

Isaiah 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?