New Testament Reading Plan: Revelations 7-9
SCRIPTURE READING
Matt 20:26-27 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be
your servant, 27and whoever would be first among you must be your slave (ESV)
Jesus teachings were often considered to be quite radical for His day and age. Even when
we read them today, we can see how Jesus spoke with spiritual authority, He didn’t beat
around the bush but and got right down to the heart of the matter. Jesus often talked about
servanthood and we can see from today’s passage that Jesus was revealing a new paradigm
for greatness. As Christians, it’s easy to get caught up in doing things the world’s way but
Jesus teaches that it is better to be great in His sight than in the sight of men. The cool thing
about His type of greatness is that it is available to all people however the means to which we
pursue this greatness is foreign to many believers. In today’s passage, Jesus teaches what
greatness really is - it is being a servant. If we want to be great in God’s Kingdom we must
pursue meekness and servanthood. What keeps us from growing in servanthood? Basically,
it’s pride. We think we deserve better, we think certain jobs are beneath us, we think that
others should be serving us. The proud cannot be servants because all forms of pride end up
with one result – self glorification. The sin of pride is poisonous, it is venomous, it’s blinding.
Surrender to Jesus is our antidote to pride, not just as a onetime act but daily surrender.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Ask the Lord to reveal to you where pride has gotten a grip in your life. Confess this as
sin, asking Him to forgive you.
2. Ask the Lord to show you some practical ways to grow in servanthood. What are some
ways that you can be a servant at home, at your job or in the church?
3. Pray that God would grow you in humility and servanthood, that you would pursue
meekness and seek God’s Kingdom first.
