Matthew 23.11-12
" the greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted"
Brethren, the way to arrive at the highest degree of dignity in the sight of God is to be willing to become the servant of all but selfish pride makes humility one of the most difficult virtues to develop.
The Scribes and the Pharisees were not concerned about serving anyone. Though their position in society was given to them as a ministry of service, yet they used it to make themselves great in the eyes of the people. They were seeking to be thought superior through their public display of religious devotion.
By their actions, they showed that they really wanted people to serve them and that made their professed devotion to God as a mere hypocrisy. But Jesus by his own example made it impossible to make mere outward religious performance a gage of true greatness.
He called his disciples together and said "you know that the rulers of the Gentiles Lord it over them and those who are great exercise authority over them, yet it shall not be so among you. But Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant, and whoever desires to be first among you let him be your slave just as the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and give his life a ransom for many". Matthew 20.25-28
No one stooped down as low in humble service as our saviour did. Taking the form of a bond servant and coming in the likeness of men, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death on the cross. Philip. 2.7-8 . No one is exalted higher than He. That is the path of greatness in the Lord's kingdom - humble service in his name.
If we would truly be great we would have to take a course of action that is quite a bit different from the Scribes and Pharisees. We should avoid spiritual Lordship, ecclesiastical luxury and pride.We should have a change of conduct or action. We should get off the throne in our heart and let God sit on it.
Humility is having a right view of God's sovereignty and seeing ourselves as God sees us - nothing more but nothing less.
Brethren let us give to God all the glory and praise for every ability that He has allowed us to have. Bow down and give him the glory.
