“He asked them, ‘What were you discussing on the way?’ And they were silent, for they had argued with one another on the way about who was the greatest.’"
Wis 2:12, 17-20; Jas 3:16–4:3; Mk 9:30-37
The Debate about Greatness: The disciples' argument about who is the greatest is a reflection of human nature. We often strive for recognition, for power, and for a sense of superiority. We want to be the best, the most important, the most successful. Jesus challenges this way of thinking. He reminds us that true greatness is not about being above others; it is about being below them. It is about serving others, about putting their needs ahead of our own.
Jesus says that people who serve humbly are the greatest. He uses a play on an Aramaic word that can mean either servant or child. Presenting a child before them, Jesus explains that one who wishes to be the first among them must be a servant to all. True greatness to which they, and we, are being called, consists in serving one’s fellow men and is never self-centered. Instead, true greatness lies in the ability to see and respond to the needs of others, and it presupposes compassion and sympathy. The two conditions of true greatness to which Jesus calls us are humility and service. This calling, vocation, to humble, loving service belongs to the Church as a whole and to every member of the Church individually.
The first becoming the last: suffering Servent and Service
Here, Jesus stands conventional wisdom on its head: the truly great person is a diakonos − a deacon − a servant − a person who spends his/her day taking care of other people! What does it mean when Jesus states that those who want to be the first must be the last? Probably, Jesus is speaking of His own life and death in this spirit of His being a servant and considered the last, the loser. Jesus wants the apostles to substitute their ambition to rule (thus becoming the first), with the ambition to serve (thus becoming the last). We are all supposed to be serving, whatever our position or role in the society, the family, or the Church may be, because true greatness lies in being like Jesus, the loving, humble servant or slave of all.
The Child: Humility Vs Greatness
Greatness consists in treating well the volunerable. Jesus uses the image of a child to illustrate his point. A child is small, vulnerable, and dependent. They are a symbol of innocence and humility. By welcoming a child in his name, Jesus is telling us that we must approach others with the same humility and compassion. We must see them as equals, as children of God, and treat them with love and respect. By setting a child before them, Jesus asks them to be like that child, suggesting the importance of innocence and humility. The trusting innocence of a child’s heart is the place where believers can meet both Christ and God. Besides, a child represents the most powerless member of any society, a person who has no power, no influence; a person who can be controlled, abused, or neglected by others. By introducing the example of a child, Jesus also shows us that, when serving others, we must be careful to serve the least important. This means that the Christian must show hospitality to those who have no social status: the outcast, the sinner, the sick, and the feeble. In other words, the Christian must serve all of God’s children, regardless of whether they are friends or foes. Why? Because such people represent Jesus in our midst, and, hence, they must be welcomed, respected, and helped. The passage also tells us that Christians must care for the unwanted, neglected, abused, and ignored.
The Christian vocation is an apostolate of bearing witness to Christ through loving, humble service to all we encounter. Christian history teaches us that whenever the members of Christ’s Church have forgotten or ignored this call to service, the Church has suffered. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, gives us this motto on service: “Do all the good you can; By all the means you can; In all the ways you can; In all the places you can; At all the times you can; To all the people you can; As long as ever you can.”
Gospel offers a powerful challenge to our understanding of greatness. They remind us that true greatness is not about power or prestige; it is about humility and service. Let us strive to be like the child, to approach others with humility and compassion. Let us live out the greatest commandment, loving our neighbors as ourselves. May we be known as people of humility and service, people who truly embody the spirit of Christ. Amen.
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