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Serving One Another - Matthew 20:20-28
Serving One Another - Matthew 20:20-28
Apostles – in authority they were equal. None of them was the ruler over the others. None of them would exercise authority over the others.
In the Roman world of the first century, power was the road to leadership. Rulers ruled by domination. Their rule was one of authoritarianism. As Jesus put it: "the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them". The fall out of this was intrigue, deception, coups, treachery, resistance, murder, wars, and such like. It did not produce camaraderie, fellowship, unity, or cooperation.
Almost from the beginning, the apostles had been trying to go down this road. They had constant disputes about which one of them was 'the greatest'. Now, the mother of James and John has made a preemptory move and requested that her two sons be granted the topmost 'positions' in the kingdom. The 10 became indignant and angry. I have always suspicioned they were probably as angry that they hadn't thought of this as they were about the request itself. I have wondered if James and John would have then fought over which of the two of them should be #1.
Jesus gave a definite and final answer to all such disputes among the apostles: "Among you it shall not be so". There would be no position 'over' one another among them. There was no 'pope' to whom the others would submit. It was 'the twelve', the apostles. There were no 'arch-apostles' or 'over-apostles'.
Among us, the greatest will be the one who serves (Matt. 23:11). We are to “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:1-4). What are your goals, plans, and desires concerning your brothers?
Hugh DeLong
