Day 14: Luke 22:24-30
24 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. 28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
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In this passage from Luke’s gospel we witness a scene that is similar to passages we see in other gospels when the disciples petition Jesus for a position of greatness. They want to know who is the best, the most powerful, which one is to have the greatest influence. As Jesus so often does, he turned the tables. Jesus had demonstrated the signs and wonders that he was capable of to the disciples, and I imagine they were well aware of the authority that he carried. So his response is curious: “The greatest among you must become like the youngest; and the leader as one who serves.”
Here is a small group of rather powerless Jews following the man they believe to be the Messiah, the one they believe will overthrow the Roman Empire. And they just want to know when they are going to get a piece of the pie. What Jesus demonstrates to his disciples is that they have the wrong idea of the Kingdom of God. They wanted to know that they could secure a seat of power when the power finally changed hands, but Jesus wasn’t interested in such a kingdom. He was calling his disciples into a kingdom that revolved around the table, a kingdom that gathers the powerless and calls them to the banquet.
Wes Reece | Associate Worship Pastor, Lima Community Church