True Greatness; Real Power
‘Jesus called the disciples to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the nations lord it over the people, and their great ones wield power over the people. But it shall not be so among you. Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”’ — Mark 10:42-45
Have you ever heard more beautiful words? The Son of Man was great and powerful. He didn’t need to get any more of either. He needed only to give them away. He didn’t come to be served—but to serve—and to give his life as a ransom for many.
When he did, when he gave his life up on the cross, he didn’t just forgive sin, the sin of seeking more greatness and power, but he overcame that sin. And when he comes into your heart, so can you.
When Jesus indwells us, and only when he indwells us, we change in the most profound way. No longer do we live for ourselves. No longer do we pursue our own greatness. We give the greatness that is already ours away. We serve others. We give our lives in order to bear up the lives of others.
It’s then that God is honored by our lives. It’s then that we discover the joy of true greatness: not in getting, but in giving. It’s then that others see something, not just different from normal human living, but the opposite—serving rather than being served.
This past December, Marcus Mariota won the Heisman Trophy. This is awarded annually to the best collegiate football player in the nation. He won the award by the second largest margin in college football history. In an ESPN article that came out the next morning, it wasn’t his play on the field that got the attention of the nation. It was his good behavior off the field.
The writer attributed it to his easy-going Hawaiian Island upbringing.
However, I did a little investigation. There was something more in Mariota’s life. I’ll let Mariota put it in his own words:
“The Son of Man…got to get him into your life. True greatness; real power!”
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