| In Luke 9:46-48, the disciples began arguing about | | | | Love is about other people, not ourselves. |
| which one of them would be the greatest. This | | | | It follows then, that the greatest believer is the one |
| reminds me of Muhammed Ali, because he used to | | | | who best elevates others above himself, and who |
| loudly proclaim, "I am the greatest." I suppose that we | | | | considers himself to be the least in terms of |
| all have visions of grandeur, and we've all wanted to | | | | self-seeking interests. He is the greatest because he |
| be great in some way. However, Jesus had a way of | | | | genuinely considers himself to be the least. Philippians |
| determining greatest that seems quite foreign to us. He | | | | 2:3 says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain |
| took a little child and had him stand beside Him. Then | | | | conceit, but in humility consider others better than |
| he said, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name | | | | yourselves." |
| welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me | | | | If we really believed that everyone else was better |
| welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least | | | | than us, then our attitudes would be very humble. We |
| among you all-he is the greatest." | | | | would want to serve others, observing proper protocol |
| How can the least be the greatest? Isn't this just some | | | | by giving credit where credit is due. In our own eyes |
| inexplicable metaphor about how greatness means | | | | we would be the least, but in God's eyes we would be |
| something quite different in eternity than it does in this | | | | the greatest. So, if we see someone claiming to be the |
| life. No, this concept has to do with a truth that is at the | | | | greatest, we can be sure that he's not. The greatest |
| very heart of Christianity. It's all about love. God loves | | | | among us are hard to find, because they're usually |
| us (John 3:16) and we are commanded to love God | | | | somewhere behind the scenes, serving others, and |
| and to love others (Matthew 22:36-40). Love is not | | | | claiming nothing for themselves. |
| selfish or self-seeking in any way (1 Corinthians 13:5). | | | | |