Who hasn’t at some time or another wanted to be number one? …the quarterback on the football team, the homecoming queen,  the lead role in the school play, class president… the list of first place goals is endless.

The Twelve Disciples were not immune to this desire. Jesus caught them arguing over who was greatest among them. Read what Jesus had to say to them:

33 After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?”34 But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. 35 He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”  (Mark 9:33-35 NIV)

Whoa! In the first place, they were probably embarrassed that he knew what they were arguing about. But then to hear him say that to be first they must be a servant to the others was totally unexpected. It goes against everything in our human nature to be willing to be a servant.

But Jesus didn’t ask us to do anything he wasn’t willing to do himself. He spent his time ministering to the lowly people, the outcasts and the sinners, rather than trying to gain the approval of the leaders of his day. He would soon wash the Disciples dirty feet in the Upper Room – a job usually reserved for a servant to do. And he willingly took his place on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven. As if that weren’t enough, he left his place in heaven with God where he had all the glory and praise of the angels for the privilege of carrying out this mission here on earth.

Who wants to be last? Are you willing to follow Jesus example? Are you willing to serve in a lowly position? Might you help another person win a prize even if you would like to win the prize for yourself?

It helps to remember that this life isn’t all there is. Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” He also said “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.” (Matthew 20:16 NLT) If we consider how brief this lifetime is when compared to eternity, the trade off doesn’t sound bad at all.

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