Those Who Serve
Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest Luke 22:24
In the very verse before this the disciples are questioning among themselves which one of them would betray Jesus. They are coming to the end of the upper room Passover meal with Him and have just heard Jesus’ pronouncement that one of them will hand Him over to the authorities.
Jesus goes on to explain how in the kingdom of God those who serve are the true leaders. They understand kingdom culture.
But then He says this ‘And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me’ (Luke 22:29). It sounds like He’s commending the disciples while they’re inflating their own egos.
God’s work goes ahead despite human failure. This is the nature of the kingdom of God. The other side of the coin is that, like leaven, the kingdom continues its expansive work. Jesus could gain little (if any) natural confidence from the disciples squabbling but the knowledge of the working of the kingdom gave Him real hope for the outcome.
Our weaknesses and resulting failures won’t stop God’s kingdom. If we have a strong heart for the kingdom of God to continue to grow in peoples’ hearts, it’s imperative we remember this. Otherwise we can get dragged down in condemnation and self pity when the enemy scores a blow against us.