Jesus' Recipe for Greatness

If you have your Bible this morning, please take it and find Luke 9:46.  I want to share a message with you entitled, “Jesus’ Recipe for Greatness.”

 

Generally speaking, we as a culture and individuals in it desire greatness.  That is true of employees, employers, students, school districts, players, teams, political candidates, and political parties.  However, we all have different plans or recipes in achieving or attaining greatness.

 

Jesus had His own recipe.  It is found here in Luke 9, and it is profoundly different than any other plan or recipe. 

 

For Jesus, in order to go up, you must down.  I’ll explain more as we go.

 

 

1. An Argument about Greatness, Luke 9:46

46 Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest.

 

In our first verse, the disciples were talking, and a dispute or argument broke out.  It centered on which of them would be the greatest. 

 

It seems that they were under the impression that Jesus would be some type of military or political king who would overthrow the Roman government, and put the Jews, the people of God, into positions of power.  However, Jesus had previously told them otherwise, but they didn’t understand Him.

 

In the recent weeks, we saw Jesus predict His own suffering, rejection, and death.  See 9:21-22 and 9:44-45.

 

21 And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”

 

44 “Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.”

 

Jesus prophesied twice about this reality, and a third time is coming in 18:33.  However, don’t forget 9:45.

 

45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.

 

 

1. An Analogy of who is Great, 9:47-48

47 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.”

 

Look at verse 47.  Luke says that Jesus perceived what they thinking and talking about.

 

BTW…Why was Jesus able to do this?  He was able to do this because He was and is God. 

 

He is omniscient.  That means He is all-knowing.  He knows right now what every person in the room is thinking. 

 

Jesus then took a child and set him next to Him.  This child was probably between 5 and 10 years old. 

 

Keep in mind that in this culture, children were the smallest and most powerless individuals.  They were barely seen and not to be heard.

 

Why did Jesus do this?  He was teaching a lesson on who is great. 

 

Look at what Jesus said in verse 48.  If you receive this child, then you in turn are receiving Jesus, and in turn are receiving God the Father.  You can think of receiving also as accepting.

 

The disciples were more than likely shocked.  Jesus just blew their minds. 

 

BTW…While not the main point of the text, these verse remind us that we should value children.  We should value every child in the womb, and we should value every child in this room. 

 

Therefore, don’t get all bent out of shape with children who haven’t learned to sit still and remain quite during the sermon.  Love them like Jesus did, and as always, we can use more nursery volunteers.

 

Furthermore, if we value every child in the womb, let’s make sure we are providing for them outside of the womb through foster and adoptive care if needed.  Today is Orphan Sunday, and we’ll see a video at the end of the service regarding a ministry opportunity for those the Lord is calling.

 

The reason we value every child and every human is because God does as we are all created in the image of God.  That includes republicans and democrats.  That includes citizens and immigrants and even illegal immigrants. 

 

Jesus’ main point is at the end of verse 48.  He who is least will be great. 

 

Again, their minds are blown.  Jesus didn’t assign greatness to the smartest or biggest or wealthiest.  His recipe for greatness was to go down. 

 

 

• An Answer regarding those not in our Group, Luke 9:49-50

49 Now John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.”  50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against us is on our side.”

 

Hearing all this, John spoke up and answered in response to what Jesus had said.  What he recounted is not in the gospels.

 

Someone outside of the Twelve Disciples was casting out demons in Jesus’ name.  Consequently, the Twelve told him not to do that anymore.

 

Why?  He wasn’t in in their group. 

 

What did Jesus say?  Look at verse 50.  Don’t forbid him because he who is not against us is on our side.

 

In other words, Jesus told them God’s work goes on outside of their group.  Therefore, we are on the same team.

 

 

Illustration

So what does all of this mean?  Jesus’ recipe for greatness is found through humility that leads to submission. 

 

Jesus didn’t just say this.  He modeled this.  See Philippians 2:5-11.

 

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

The King of the Universe, the Son of God, was born in a borrowed manager.  That same King of the Universe, the Son of God, was buried in a borrowed grave.

 

Jesus embodied humility that lead to submission to God’s plan.  God then exalted Him to greatness. 

 

 

Application

If you want to be great, humble yourself and submit according to God’s will.  Peter eventually got it. See 1 Peter 2:9-25.

 

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.  11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.  13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.  18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 22 “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

 

Husbands and wives, submit.  Parents and children, submit.  Republicans and Democrats, submit.  Employers and employees, submit. 

 

Don’t think your submitting is dependent on someone else submitting.  Your submitting is dependent on whether you want to be obedient to God.

 

If you want to be great in this world, do exactly what the words say.  Go down and let God lift you up.