Ego Driven Discipleship

September 20

(Luke 22:24-30 NIV) ““Also a dispute 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.””

(Luke 9:46-48 NIV) ““An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. {47} Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. {48} Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all--he is the greatest.””

(Micah 6:8 NIV) “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Jesus must have been frustrated with the disciples at times. Earlier in Luke’s gospel, they had argued about who was the greatest… and it was still happening. Jesus probably shook His head and wondered, “Have they learned nothing?” But once more He stressed that the least among them would be the greatest -- the servant would end up at the head of the table. This is the life that Christ modeled for His disciples. One of the greatest enemies of servant discipleship is the human ego. Our desire to be important, to be noticed, or to be in charge, can cripple us in our quest to walk humbly with our God. More than one church has been laid low by the insidious and incessant power struggles that happen between those who claim to be “servants” of Christ. You can’t be great in God’s eyes when climbing on the backs of other believers. Ditch the ego. Be a servant. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day