Scripture

“The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Observation

The Pharisees and teachers of the law of Moses are the interpreters of the law so the crowds should listen to what they say. They should not be imitated, though,as they are hypocrites and do not follow their own teaching.

These people put religious burdens on people. They show off their virtues in the way they dress, and they claim the places of honour at banquets .

We are not to bestow high titles such as Rabbi, Teacher, or Father, on one another. We are all equally deserving of honour in God’s Kingdom.

The greatest among us must be a servant to others. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, while those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Application

In contrast to the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, we are meant to be humble in all things. We shouldn’t seek titles and ministries. These will find us.

The path to promotion is through humility and service. This is true of the church, but it is also true of the world. The popular political leaders are those who serve the people rather than themselves. We feel instinctively that these people understand us better and are therefore more qualified to lead us.

In the church, it is the pastors who are prepared to do manual tasks who our loved by their people. Those who think themselves too good to sweep the floor will be of no use to the church.

When people promote themselves and their gifts ahead of everybody else, we are wise to ignore them. Such people can be arrogant or insecure. The way to promotion for both types of people is to serve first, and then allow their gift to flourish in the context of serving the community.

If you are feeling overlooked in the church, you should seek to serve in whatever way you can. God sees you. God has placed you where you are.Take the nature of a servant and let God raise you up in His way .

Prayer

Please help me Father to always be humble and to trust in your love for me. Amen.