BEFORE WE START
We live in a world that tells us to look out for ourselves, get ahead, make a name for yourself, protect your position, be successful. And if you can get people to notice you along the way, even better.
We don't usually think of greatness as something that involves serving other people. But Jesus turns that idea completely upside down.
As the disciples follow Jesus through Mark 9 and 10, they're still trying to understand what it means to follow Him. And honestly, they're still struggling with some of the same things we struggle with.
They want to know who's the greatest. They want recognition. They don't understand why Jesus keeps talking about suffering and death. And at one point, two of them even ask Jesus for positions of honor.
They're following Jesus...but they're still learning what following Him actually means.
And Jesus teaches them something that every follower of Christ needs to understand: Following Jesus means learning to serve like Jesus.
Jesus is the King. But He's a very different kind of King.
He doesn't come demanding to be served. He comes to serve.
And if we're going to follow Him, that changes the way we think about greatness, success, relationships, and even our everyday lives.
READ IT
Read Mark chapters 9 and 10 in your Bible.
As you read, pay special attention to what Jesus says about greatness, serving, humility, sacrifice, and following Him.
Take a closer look at:
Mark 9:33–37 — Jesus teaches about true greatness.
Mark 9:42–50 — Jesus challenges His followers to take sin seriously.
Mark 10:13–16 — Jesus welcomes the children.
Mark 10:17–31 — Jesus encounters the rich young ruler.
Mark 10:32–34 — Jesus predicts His death.
Mark 10:35–45 — Jesus teaches about greatness and servant leadership.
As you read, notice something: The disciples are learning that following Jesus isn't about becoming important. It's about becoming more like Him.
UNDERSTAND IT
There's a moment in Mark 9 when Jesus and His disciples are traveling, and Jesus asks them what they were arguing about along the way.
They don't answer...because they had been arguing about who was the greatest.
I think that tells us something important about the disciples. They were following Jesus, they had seen miracles, they had heard Him teach, they had watched Him change people's lives, and yet, they were still thinking about themselves.
Who's the greatest? Who's the most important? Who's going to have the most influence? Who's going to get the recognition? And Jesus sits down and gives them a lesson they probably weren't expecting.
He tells them that if anyone wants to be first, they must be last and servant of all. That's not how the world normally works. We usually think moving up means getting more people to serve us. Jesus says greatness looks like serving others.
Then, in Mark 10, James and John come to Jesus asking for positions of honor. They want to sit at His right and left when He comes into His glory. And once again, Jesus uses the moment to teach them what His kingdom is really about. He tells them that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over people and exercise authority over them. "But it is not so among you." That phrase is worth sitting with.
It is not so among you. In other words: that's how the world operates, but that's not how My followers operate.
The world says: Get ahead.
Jesus says: Serve.
The world says: Make yourself important.
Jesus says: Humble yourself.
The world says: What can people do for me?
Jesus says: What can I do for others?
And then Jesus gives them the clearest picture of all. He says: "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
That's the King we're following. Jesus is the Son of God. He's the Messiah. He's the King. And yet He describes His mission in terms of serving.
That's incredible. The King serves, stoops down, gives, sacrifices, and ultimately, the King gives His life.
If that's who Jesus is, then following Him can't simply mean agreeing with Him. It means allowing His way of living to reshape ours.
And here's where this becomes personal. Because most of us probably aren't walking around trying to be "the greatest." At least, we don't usually call it that.
But we can still fall into the same mindset. We want to be noticed, appreciated, we want people to recognize what we've done, we want to be right, we want our way, the credit, we want someone else to apologize first. We want to be served. And sometimes, if we're honest, we can even serve while secretly hoping somebody notices.
But Jesus invites us into something different: Follow Me. Not just: "Believe what I believe." Not just: "Go to church." Not just: "Try to be a good person." Follow Me.
And if we're following Jesus, then we're following a King who served. That means sometimes following Jesus looks like doing something nobody notices. It looks like helping someone who can't do anything for you in return, or putting someone else's needs ahead of your own. It looks like choosing humility when you could demand recognition. It looks like forgiving when you'd rather hold onto the hurt. It looks like using whatever God has given you—not to make yourself look important, but to bless someone else.
And here's something important: Serving isn't about becoming a doormat.
Jesus wasn't weak. He wasn't afraid to confront sin. He wasn't afraid to speak truth. He wasn't controlled by people's opinions. He knew exactly who He was.
And because He knew who He was, He didn't need to prove His importance. He was free to serve, and that's a powerful lesson for us.
When our identity is secure in Christ, we don't have to spend our lives proving our worth.
We can simply love, we can serve, we can give, we can put others first. Because we're not trying to earn our value, we've already received it from the One we follow.
LIVE IT OUT
This week, look for opportunities to serve that nobody may ever notice. That's the challenge.
Don't do something because you want recognition, don't post about it, don't wait for someone to thank you. Just serve.
Make the coffee. Help someone who needs it. Encourage someone who's struggling. Pick up the phone and check on someone. Do the job nobody wants to do. Apologize. Forgive. Give generously.
Look around and ask: "How can I make someone else's day a little better?"
And when you do it, remember who you're following. You're following the Servant King.
THINK ABOUT IT
Take some time to honestly consider these questions.
1. Why do you think the disciples struggled so much with wanting to be the greatest?
2. What does "greatness" usually look like in our culture? How is Jesus' definition different?
3. What are some ways you find yourself wanting recognition, control, or credit?
4. What does Mark 10:45 teach us about the kind of King Jesus is?
5. Is it easier for you to serve when people notice and appreciate it? Why?
6. Who is one person God may be putting in front of you right now that you could serve this week?
Don't just think about the big things, sometimes following Jesus looks incredibly ordinary.
The kingdom of God often shows up in places the world doesn't consider important.
PRAY IT
Jesus,
You are the King, and yet You came to serve. You didn't come looking for applause or recognition. You came to love, to serve, and ultimately to give Your life for us.
Forgive me for the times I've made following You about myself. Forgive me when I want recognition, or to be right, or when I want to be noticed, or when I want other people to serve me instead of looking for ways to serve them.
Help me become more like You. Give me eyes to see the people around me who need encouragement, help, patience, forgiveness, or simply someone who cares.
Help me serve without needing recognition. Help me love without expecting something in return. Help me choose humility when pride would be easier.
And remind me that I'm not trying to prove my worth. I'm simply following You.
Jesus, You are the Servant King. Teach me to follow You.
Amen.
