Servanthood is Kingdom Behaviour
A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves” Luke 22:24-27
What makes this passage remarkable is where it fits in. Luke places it immediately after Jesus has shared the broken bread and wine with the disciples as the highlight of the Last Supper. He has just said that one of them will betray Him.
We might expect the disciples to huddle around Jesus to offer the kind of support He needed right then. But no; there’s no support; just an unholy race up the ladder to claim top-dog status.
Jesus seems to hide His obvious disappointment. Instead he tells them that the kingdom of God operates on different principles to the world. In the world people rival each other to be important but in the kingdom of God self-seeking and self-importance are right down the bottom.
And what’s at the top? Servanthood is. It’s more than humility. We can be humble without ever helping others. Servanthood puts to one side any thoughts of self. It takes on the posture of a slave whose job was to be the one who met everyone else’s needs.
Jesus knew this message had to be driven home. The argument over who was the greatest gave Him the opportunity to highlight how His own ministry had been one of a servant for three and a half years. He knew the next day He would die and the disciples would be left to take His message into their world.
But they would get nowhere copying the world’s self-centred ways. The world would be won by an army who laid down their lives, put on the clothing of slaves, and lived thereafter to serve others.