We are looking at the attitude necessary for ministering in the Kingdom of God.
 
Yesterday, we saw how James and John went to Jesus to ask Him to let them sit on His left and right when He came into His kingdom. The other ten disciples found out about it and everyone was mad at each other, for all of them had been arguing like children over who was the greatest.
 
As we saw, with everyone mad at everyone, this led Jesus to have a straight talk with all of them…
Matthew 20:25–28 (NIV)
25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
 
Here, Jesus points out that there are two views of greatness:
      1. The world’s view of greatness.
      2. The Lord’s view of greatness.
 
Let’s examine them more thoroughly.
 
1. The world’s view of greatness is that greatness is at the “top.”
 
Jesus illustrates this by reminding them of what they had experienced at the hands of the Romans by their “rulers” and “high officials”
 
The phrase, “Lord it over” carries the idea of exercising domination.
The phrase, “exercise authority” denoted hostility in the way they were treated.
Jesus starts out by saying, ”you know”  because they knew, by experience, exactly what He was talking about.
 
I’ve worked under this type of a boss. Years ago, I was a salesman at Wood Craft Furniture.  I will never forget the day the owner said to a group of thirty sales men and women,  “This is not a democracy in here, this is a dictatorship and I’m the dictator and if you don’t like it there’s the *%#@** door.”  If he ever complimented you, it was in private. But if he ever corrected you, it was in front of all the other salesmen.  
 
This “little man” in stature was only matched by the “littleness” of his actions. His view of greatness was the everyone should serve him. And that’s the world’s view of greatness.
 
This greatness demands that everyone serves you.
 
2. The Lord’s view of greatness is that greatness is at the “bottom.”
 
Jesus says to his followers, ”Not so with you.”  Jesus was clearly saying that we are never to act in this “lord it over” dominating fashion for those in our care. We must forever put aside the desire to want to measure greatness the world’s way.
 
To Jesus, there are two legitimate expressions of greatness.  To illustrate this, Jesus uses two different Greek words to show two healthy attitudes towards serving.
 
First He says, “whoever wants to become great among you must be your SERVANT.”
The word “servant” is the Greek word, diakonos. We get our word “deacon” and “minister” from this.
 
Jesus is saying that greatness is ministering to the needs of others rather than to your own needs.
Greatness is being totally committed to the welfare of another.
 
The second word is translated, “SLAVE.”  The Greek word is “doulos.”  It literally means “bond slave.”
 
I’m certain Jesus had in mind the imagery of the bond-slave spoken of in… 
Exodus 21:2,5,6
2 “If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything…… 5 “But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ 6 then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life. 
 
A “doulos” is a slave/servant who has totally given himself over into a relationship of another.
 
It is from this imagery that Paul and other New Testament writers began to refer to themselves as bondservants of Jesus Christ as they introduced themselves in their letters.
      Here are few examples: 
          Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, 
          Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in
Christ Jesus who are in Philippi….
          James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
          Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, 
          Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ,….
 
So, even in the Lord’s view of greatness are two attitudes toward greatness:
    1.  Greatness is ministering to the needs of others.
    2.  Greatness is selling yourself over into a relationship with others.
 
Which one best describes you?