Greatness, Greatly Modeled

I want to talk to you about pride.
I want to talk about what the Lord addresses with his own apostles
about the matter of pride. Pride has ruined a great many
churches. Pride has ruined a great many
men. Pride has ruined ministries It
has ruined relationships. Pride is known as one of the
seven deadlies. One pastor said of pride of all
sins, there is none against which we have such a need to watch
and pray as pride. It is a pestilence that walks
in darkness and a sickness that destroys at midday. No sin so
deeply is so deeply rooted in our nature. It cleaves to us
like our sin. Its roots are never entirely
die, never entirely die. They are ready at any moment
to spring up and exhibit a most pernicious vitality. No sin is
so deceitful. It can wear the clothing of humility
itself. It can lurk in the hearts of
the ignorant, the ungifted and the poor, as well as the minds
of the great, the learned and the rich. William Ames, when
he described this great sin of pride, he said pride essentially
is an inordinate affection for one’s own excellence. You love
yourself too much. He goes on to point out that
it takes several forms. He says this affection for one’s
excellence is called boasting when it is directed toward the
good things that we have directed toward the things that we pretend
to have. It is called. Arrogance, if it seeks fame and
esteem from others, it is called vainglory. An excessive or ostentatious
pride, especially in one’s achievements. It is if it is concerned for
dignity, it is called ambition. If it undertakes matters beyond
our strength, it is called presumption. But all of those ultimately can
trace their roots back to the basic sin of pride. Another said
that. The pride itself, just as William
Ames points out, is the parent of numberless sins. Because of
high notions of what we deserve from God or from men, pride produces
impatience, discontent, envy, anger, strife, all uncharitableness. And that’s what led one Puritan
to write an entire book on the leaven of pride. Once it gets
in, it’s going to run its course. I appreciated that we are studying
the mortification of sin and Saints, this is one sin that
you must detect early and put to death to mortify or it will
run its course in your life. It will have devastating effects. Because of pride, people think
that because of their position, they are entitled to certain
benefits and things and even titles. Because of their education,
they’re supposed to be privileged because of some heritage or some
family tree, they deserve some good thing. Because they are
in power, because they have political connections who they know, they
are deserved favors and recognition and privileges. Or are they? You see, that’s when pride really
shows itself is when those things are withheld, when those things
are not bestowed, then pride rears its head. And that’s exactly
the case with the apostles. If you would, we find ourselves
in Luke 22, and it’s an amazing connection here. If you think
back, I’m not jumping out of context, I’m not jumping into
a completely new passage. Jesus had taken the apostles
into the upper room to celebrate the Passover, during which he
instituted the Lord’s Supper. Now, we’ve been tough on Judas,
rightly so, but we’ve been tough on Judas almost exclusively when
this passage points up the great majority of the apostles. We pick up in verse 24 in the
context of the upper room, the Passover. The Lord’s Supper. Where Luke records and there
arose also a dispute. There arose also a dispute among
them as to which one of them was regarded to be the greatest. And he said to them, the kings
of the Gentiles lorded over them and those who have authority
over them are called benefactors. But it is not this way with you.
But the one who is the greatest among you must become like the
youngest and the leader, like the servant for who is greater,
the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it
not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you is
the one who serves. Come to a fascinating passage
of scripture, as I said. It falls at a time where it almost
seems out of place. For those of you in the Institute,
I may have confused you several weeks ago, because as I began
to look at this, I think the order of how things took place
there in the upper room follows more along Luke’s order and not
along the order that I had put down, the order of Matthew and
Mark. Luke’s order has it this way. Luke opens Chapter 22 with
essentially the plot to kill Christ. Judas’s betrayal follows
immediately after and then comes the Passover and the celebration
of the Passover. And as I suggested, Luke’s order,
when we study the issue, Luke’s order presents the very next
logical thing, the fact that the Lord’s Supper was instituted
in the midst of the supper. And then follows, I believe,
the prediction of betrayal by Judas. And there are some other
things that follow after, but most noteworthy, what follows
immediately after. The institution of the Lord’s
Supper, which is in the midst of the Passover meal. All of a sudden breaks out a
dispute. An argument. About who is greatest. As I said, it seems out of place.
It seems entirely out of place. But I want to stand back and
I want to look at this. Because what Jesus does in this
passage is not only take on the issue of greatness, but he models
it as well. And he dispels this dispute and
deals with it, not just by words, but ultimately by deeds. I want
to look. At four, if you will, scenes
of this dispute untangled by the Lord himself. First of all,
look at the cause of the dispute. Look, 22 records 24. There are also there arose also
a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be
the greatest. Now, this isn’t as you know,
this isn’t the first time that this subject has raised its ugly
head. When Luke records here that there arose also a dispute,
it really is a bit of an understatement. This is a subject that has come
up again and again with the Lord’s apostles, the argument really
never went away, it just seemed to smolder under the surface
of the social network called the apostles. Let me take you
back, if I could. To the first instance. In Luke’s
gospel, which is recorded in Luke 946, go back there. And amazingly, as I shared with
the with the folks at the Institute, the amazing thing about this
particular incident is it followed immediately on the heels of the
transfiguration. Now, granted, there were only
three apostles there, and certainly some of those apostles could
have been reacting to that very issue. The fact that Jesus had
a favored three. But immediately after the transfiguration. These words are recorded. Luke
946 says that an argument started among them As to which one of
them might be the greatest. And I take that I when I read
back upon that this week, I found that to be interesting. That
an argument started. This is where it began, but it
won’t finish even at the Lord’s table as the Lord’s table is
instituted, what is presented here before us is an opening
up into men’s hearts that an argument started among them. As to which one might be the
greatest. But Jesus, verse 47, knowing what they were thinking
in their heart, took a child, stood him by his side and said
to them, whoever receives this child in my name receives me.
Whoever receives me receives him who sent me for the one who
is least among all of you. This is the one who is greatest. Now, the other gospel writers
provide us plenty of detail. The fact that Jesus was in a
home and that they began to question them. In fact, each one of the
gospel writers presents a little bit different scenario as to
how this argument was detected. Matthew says it this way. The
disciples came to Jesus. And said, who then is the greatest
in the kingdom of heaven? Mark says that Jesus went to
them. What were you discussing, what
were you talking about in the way on the way? But they kept
silent because of fear of being rebuked by the Lord. They kept
silent for on the way they had discussed with one another which
one of them was the greatest. But all three tell us what the
subject was. And you can easily see how different
writers would have a different perspective as to who came to
who. Ultimately, the subject came
out and was dealt with by the Lord. It says in Mark’s Gospel that
Jesus sat down and he called the twelve to him. And he said, if anyone wants
to be first, he should be last of all and servant of all. And
then he called the child and gave them a graphic illustration
of innocence and a graphic illustration of of faith. Matthew’s Gospel closes out with
these words. It says, truly, I say to you,
unless you are converted, are converted and become like children,
that childlike faith that was so precious to Christ, you will
not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself
as this child, he is the greatest. In the kingdom of heaven. Well,
you would think You would think that what Jesus
does there in calling the disciples to himself in the midst of such
an astounding scene as the transfiguration and such an astounding breach
of etiquette as this argument about who’s greatest and such
a gracious treatment of this sin of pride and so thorough
by the Lord Jesus himself, you would think that this deal was
done. that they would never again face
this kind of argument, at least not these twelve. But it would
come up again. It would come up not only again,
but again and again. It was a regular feature among
the apostles, if you would take your Bibles and turn to Matthew’s
Gospel. In Matthew’s Gospel, we have a little bit different
scene, but the same subject, Matthew chapter 20. Mark records
it as well in chapter 10, but I want to take you to Matthew’s
Gospel. In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter
20 and verse 20, and this will make every son cringe. Then the
mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus. And most of us
shiver at the thought of having mommy go on our behalf and mommy
take up our cause and mommy go and talk to the coach or the
teacher or parents. It’s every son’s worst nightmare,
right? Then the mother of the sons of
Zebedee came to Jesus and those are loaded words. Those are full
words. This woman had no cause. As we
will see, talking to Jesus about what she’s about to talk to.
This is going to go from very bad to worse very quick. The mother of Jesus, the sons
of Zebedee, came to Jesus with their sons, bowing down and making
a request of him. And I take this to mean that
the sons were complicitous in this. They had either contracted
their mother or were at least rubber stamping this and giving
approval to her going. They knew what she was going
to ask, as you will see in a moment. And he said to her, what do you
wish? She said to him, command that
in your kingdom, these two sons of mine. I mean, can’t you just
see it? Oh, command that in your kingdom, these two sons of mine
may sit one on your right and one on your left. But Jesus answered, you do not
know what you are asking. You know, this is this is so
outlandish what she’s asking. And it is, in a sense, we can
smile because it is so typical of moms that, oh, my boys certainly
are the foremost of the apostles. Look at them. Look at what all
they’ve become. I know this, people. I know this. Jesus answered and said, you
do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup
that I’m about to drink? In other words, the cup not only
of persecution, but ultimately of martyrdom. Are you able to
drink that cup and get this? The boys sitting there all gleeful,
easily jump at the answer. Yes, we are able. He said to them, my cup, you
shall drink. They would be martyred. They would be persecuted. They
would be hated by the world, even to death. But to sit on
my right hand, Jesus says, and on my left, this is not mine
to give. But it is for those for whom
it is prepared by my father and the discussion is over. There
is no debate, there is no further discussion, there is no counter
proposal, not even by the mother. But watch what happens. And hearing
this, the 10 became indignant with the two brothers. And, you
know, you can almost picture the scene if it was a bunch of
12 and 13 year olds. You know, everybody takes their
hat off and starts beating these two, James and John. What on
earth are you thinking? The greatest indeed. The 10 became indignant. We don’t
know exactly what they look like. What that scene looked like.
But Jesus perceived it and Jesus called them to himself in verse
twenty five and said, you know that the rulers of the Gentiles
lorded over them and their great men exercise authority over them. Jesus isn’t pointing out here
the Gentile rulers are any worse than any other kind of rulers,
Jewish rulers were notorious as well. In all, as one said,
there was this great tendency to despotism. You’ve heard it
said absolute power corrupts. I don’t particularly believe
that statement, but power does have a tendency to corrupt. As
one said, the Gentiles were tyrannized over by rulers and their underlings,
emperors and kings who lorded it over the people. This issue here of lording it
over, we’ll look at in a moment a little bit deeper, but it indicates
this imposition of power from above this heavy and foreboding.
I’m in charge, chief Indian kind of attitude. As one says, they
use their lordship to their own advantage. They practice complete
domination over their subjects. The picture touches on the tender
spot. Of men who had been ground under
the heel of Roman oppression, and the apostles certainly knew
that. They knew what Jesus was saying.
He was pointing out that there’s one kind of authority. You’ve
been under it. But it is not this way among
you. Jesus says there’s another kind of authority. There should
be a different kind of authority, but whoever wishes to become
great among you shall be your servant. And whoever wishes to
be first among you should be your slave, just as the Son of
Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his
life as a ransom for many. What a poignant moment. What
a gracious Lord. What a merciful Savior to take
men like this, that even in a situation like that, such an outlandish
request In which these two sons were clearly complicitous. And
to deal with them graciously, because in a sense, the fact
that they were indignant means that they all had these designs,
as we will see in a moment, they all wanted to be president of
the club. And that the Lord deals with them so graciously and you
would think this is it. All right. Once we’ve dealt with
it now twice, this is it. But it isn’t it. It isn’t it
at all. Turn to Matthew 23. In Matthew 23, the subject comes
up again. All three Gospel writers record
this one. Matthew 23, Luke 20, Mark 12,
verse 38. What Jesus does here is take
advantage of the poor example of leadership that was set by
the scribes and the Pharisees To call his own disciples to
leadership of a higher character. And for the sake of time, I want
to jump all the way into he’s pointing out the Pharisees and
their habits and look at verse four, they tie up burdens, lay
them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing
or they’re unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.
But they all do the deeds to be noticed by men, for they broaden
their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.
They wanted to put on this pomp and the show. They loved the
place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues
and respectful greetings in the marketplaces. They loved the
whole deal about church leadership and what it had become. They
loved this religious show. They loved the respect that it
garnered. But Jesus rebukes it and ultimately
settles on a statement that’s repeated throughout the Gospels. But the greatest among you shall
be your servant in verse 11. Jesus says, look, there’s a different
kind of leadership. It doesn’t need to be this way.
You don’t need to do leadership this way. It’s dishonoring to
God is what Jesus says. Jump back, if you would, to Luke. The bottom line here is that
this wasn’t the first time that this subject had come up. Nevertheless,
note several things about this one verse, verse 24. It says
that there arose also a dispute. This word here, it was amazing
to me to see somebody take the attempt to translate it as a
friendly discussion. Because of the word philo, which
is in their love, it’s just a misperception of the intent of the word. It’s
the only place that the word occurs in all of the the New
Testament, but it really means a readiness, a love of arguing,
a love and a readiness to quarrel, a desire, a deep seated desire
to quarrel and argue, argue. brought about by ambition. One commentator suggested that
the dispute came about because of the apostles were jockeying
for position at the table, which is interesting. It’s possible.
I don’t think that’s the case because I think they were already
seated. Maybe somebody took offense at
where they had to sit. Don’t you hate going to banquets,
right? You sit down in the banquet and then all of a sudden they
move the podium and you were positioned just perfectly. And
now all of a sudden you got your back to the podium right in those
roundtables. Well, everybody. Is faced with that and the apostles
certainly a possibility. Another one suggested that maybe
the argument came about. Was precipitated by the discussion
of who was the traitor. Now, that would be a difficult
segue, wouldn’t it? One of you is a traitor. Yeah,
that’s fine. But which one of us is the greatest? I don’t buy
it. Still another explained that
the cause simmered just below the surface constantly. And that’s
what I see that. Once said it this way, because
the disciples were filled with ambition, constantly viewing
the Savior’s Messiah ship in light of their materialistic
expectations, they had frequent dissensions as to which of them
should be accounted the greatest. Now, whereas the first time this
subject came up. It was in these thoughts that
spilled over into a brief discussion. The discussion that was perceived
by the Lord ultimately, remember, and quickly dealt with here,
the discussion is resumed with much acrimony. I take it to mean
it was almost a verbal argument. Look again at the passage, there
arose a dispute among them. This was their fight. This was
their argument. Jesus didn’t suggest it. Hey,
I’d like you to talk amongst yourself and see which one of
you would like to take over for me when I go. That wasn’t Jesus
suggestion. The people, the greater church
didn’t suggest it. Hey, you know, Jesus is going
to be taken to heaven. We’d really like to have this
position filled. This was an internal affair.
This was generated by and limited to the 12 apostles. As I said, we’ve been hard on
Judas and rightly so. But this sinful skirmish, this
involves far more than just Judas. I don’t doubt that he was involved,
although he knew it was a short lived position that he was going
to fill. This was among a significant number of apostles. If not the
entire group of the apostles, the closest followers on Earth
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at it again. There arose
a dispute among them as to which one of them. Note the pride in
that little phrase. How elitist these guys were to
think that greatness was in some sense limited to their little
band. In other words, it never crossed
their minds that there might be greater saints outside of
their little circle. That God might have his eye on
someone greater, even than them. Fishermen and tax gatherers.
Never crossed their mind that someone outside of their tiny
little circle could approach greatness, only them. Only the
twelve, which one of us? Look again. There arose also
a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be
the greatest. Because they knew in their heart
it wasn’t objective. They knew, objectively speaking,
that everybody knew their own sin. Everybody knew that if God
were selecting, that if God were picking, that there would be
no one who would objectively be able to stand before God,
but to be regarded as such. That’s another matter entirely.
But in whose eyes? The Fellowship of the Apostles.
Was it among them that they wanted to be regarded? Was it among
the larger body of the soon to be fledgling church that they
wanted to be regarded? Because it certainly wasn’t in
the eyes of the Lord himself. to be objectively regarded as
the greatest. Look again at the passage one
last time. There was also a dispute among
them as to which one of them was to be regarded greatest. In other words, someone or several
someone’s wanted to be the president of the club. As we saw, this wasn’t the first
time that Jesus’ closest followers had stumbled into this faulty
and self-centered debate. But this was the worst. Here they are in the midst of
the Passover meal, a meal in itself intended to commemorate
the Lord’s works. And here are the apostles quibbling
at the very institution of the Lord’s Supper over who is greatest. One pastor said, the sin before
us is an old one. Ambition, self-esteem and self-conceit
lie deep at the bottom of all men’s hearts and often in hearts
where they are least suspected. Thousands fancy that they are
humble who cannot bear to see an equal more honored and favored
than themselves. Few indeed can be found who rejoice
heartily in a neighbor neighbor’s promotion over their own heads.
The quantity of envy and jealousy in the world is a glaring proof
of the prevalence of pride, men would not envy a brother’s advancement
if they had not a secret thought that their own merit was greater
than his. That’s true, isn’t it? And perhaps that’s that’s
what set off the apostles, they saw The possibility of merit,
they saw the possibility of decline. They saw those sitting near Jesus,
whatever it was. We can certainly understand it
because it’s in our own hearts, isn’t it? Whenever one receives
a greater benefit than us, whenever one receives some kind of adulation
or congratulation, we think, why not me? Why was I skipped
over? Why was I overlooked? Secondly,
look at the character of the dispute. The cause of the dispute. Was
over who was the greatest, but secondly, the character of the
dispute in verse 25, Jesus said to them, the kings of the Gentiles
lorded over them and those who have authority over them are
called benefactors. As I said, this was an echo of
what Jesus said in Matthew 20, 25, When James and John, represented
by their mother, came seeking special chairs, special promotions
in the earthly kingdom. And Jesus uttered these same
words, the kings of the Gentiles, look, you’re looking for a completely
different kind of leadership position. That’s not how it’s
going to be in the church. That’s not how it’s going to
be in my kingdom. The church isn’t supposed to
be. Led by men with that kind of a heart, Look at the passage again, the
kings of the Gentiles lorded over them, the rulers of earthly
kingdoms. They act with this outward power and they hold people
down. They make their inferiors of
one said, realize very thoroughly that they are their rulers and
whoever acts with the most dominating force is regarded as the most
important. In other words, people almost
love a brutal dictator. Then they know who’s in charge.
But Jesus says it is not going to be that way in the kingdom.
It’s not supposed to be that way in the church. First, Peter,
Peter echoes this very thought when he’s talking about the church,
he tells the elders, nor yet as lording it over those allotted
to your charge, you’re supposed to be shepherds examples. It is not supposed to be leadership
by manipulation and intimidation. The word here. Has a connotation
of intensity and domineering over people and circumstances,
any kind of what one called autocratic, oppressive, intimidating leadership
with elements of manipulation, manipulation, traits that typically
characterize the leadership style and methodology of unregenerate
men. That’s exactly what Jesus is
saying. The kings of the Gentiles do it this way. But it shouldn’t
be that way with you. It shouldn’t be that way within
the church. In fact, one of the passages I came across in this
study was Third John, Third John, right? You talk about a clean
part of your Bible, Third John, just a few verses in the entire
letter. John said, I wrote something
to the church. But the atrophies. And everybody says, well, we
don’t really know. Tell us about the atrophies.
I wrote something to the church, but the atrophies who loves to
be first among them. The atrophies love to have his
own way, the atrophies was heavy handed, the atrophies won every
argument, the atrophies had the vote manipulated his way every
time. Theatrophies who loves to be
first among them does not accept what we say. John rebukes him because of the.
Luke goes on to record not only the kings of the Gentiles lording
it over them, but those who have authority over them are called
benefactors. That’s what they love. More literally,
it means a doer of good. Godless rulers often inscribe
this little phrase, this little title, along with their image
on the coinage of their respective kingdoms. Benefactor with their
picture under it, right? Doer of good, doer of all good. As one said, they look for fame
and honor, which they even extort forcibly. This doing of good
is only made possible by the taxpayers, right? It’s the same
idea today. The most powerful one is the
one who is seen as a benevolent dictator, right? The one who
holds the purse strings, a benefactor, one who literally returns a portion
of the people’s money. It isn’t his money to begin with.
He acquired it through the harsh taxation of the common people. Jesus says to his apostles, look,
You’re acting just like these worldly leaders, these earthly
kings. And it ought not be so. There’s
another way. And Jesus provides, thirdly,
a cure for the dispute, not only the cause and the character,
but the cure. Look at verse 26. But it is not this way with you,
but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the
youngest and the leader, like the servant. The one who genuinely
does good, the true benefactor is the humble Christian brother
who loves and serves others. As one said, leadership should
not be regarded as a means of enjoying special privileges over
others. But as especially responsible
form of service to be rendered in deep humility before God. Jesus says it is not this way
with you. It cannot be. This will not work.
This jockeying for position, this manipulation, this political
maneuvering, this is not going to work. If you want to be the
greatest, roll up your sleeves and get busy. Serve. As one pastor said, usefulness
in the world and in the church requires a humble readiness to
do anything. and to put our hands to any good
work, a cheerful willingness to fill any post, however lowly
and discharge any office, however unpleasant. If we can only promote
happiness and holiness on Earth, these are the true tests of Christian
greatness. The hero in Christ’s army is
not the man who has rank and title and dignity and chariots
and horsemen and 50 men to run before him. It is the man who looks not on
his own things, but on the things of others. It is the man who
is kind to all, tender to all, thoughtful to all, with a hand
to help all and a heart to feel for all. It is the servant. And Jesus not only provides a
cure. For the dispute in that little phraseology, But he’s
about to give them the greatest example that the church has ever
seen of servanthood outside of his sacrifice on the cross. Look
at verse 7, 27, rather, for the corrective. Jesus asked them
a question not to be answered for who is greater, the one who
reclines at the table or the one who serves. As a waiter,
a former waiter, I can give you that answer real quickly. You
are a servant to the one who has come into your place of business.
Is it not the one who reclines at the table? Jesus answers the
question for them, of course, it’s the one who comes in to
sit at the restaurant. But Jesus turns the table. He
says, but I am among you as the one who serves, and I believe
that based on the order that we talked about. That it is here. that Jesus stood up from the
Passover table. It is here that Jesus stood up.
From the institution of the Lord’s Supper. And John records it for us. Only
John look at John Chapter 13 as we close. Verse one says now before the
feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come,
that he should depart out of the world into the to the father,
having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to
the end. And then comes the Passover. And in the midst of the Passover
comes the institution of the Lord’s Supper. And in the midst
of the institution of the Lord’s Supper, I believe, comes the
following words. And during supper, the devil
already having put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of
Simon, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the father had given
all things into his hands and that he had come forth from God
and was going back to God, rose from supper, laid aside his garments
and taking a towel, girded himself about. Then he poured water into
the basin and began to wash the disciples feet. As I said to
me, this is the greatest act of service outside of Jesus going
to the cross that has ever been shown to man. Jesus washing the
apostles feet. And to wipe them with the towel
with which he was girded. We’ve looked at the passage in
greater detail and we can do that again on another day. The bottom line is what Jesus
says. Do you want to be great? Do you
want to be great serve? Don’t seek after greatness by
way of education, because it isn’t necessarily axiomatic.
Don’t think that greatness comes by virtue of the fact that you
are part of a certain family. Don’t think that greatness comes
because you are able to execute and wield a great deal of power
or you have some kind of political influence. Don’t abuse whatever
privileges you have in the church by demanding favors and recognition
and some kind of proud perks that come with the job. You want
to be great. You want to be great in God’s
eyes. Roll up your sleeves and serve the brothers and sisters
of this church. First and foremost, roll up your
sleeves and serve the people of this community. Roll up your
sleeves and serve. Find something to do. Find some
way to minister to others. Take your eyes off of yourself
and serve. It’s exactly what Christ. Let’s
pray. Father God. We thank you for
your word to us. A frequently reviewed word. The
washing of the feet. Where you stood up and modeled.
To the disciples. The real meaning of service and
the real meaning of greatness. Father, we thank you and we praise
you. For this call in our own lives, we too have. Just as great a tendency, if
not greater, to be proud, just like the apostles were. Lord,
we don’t repudiate them because we see in them a great deal of
ourselves. We do pray, Lord, that perhaps
like them, this corrective would be effective and that you would
take us and mold us. Take the idea of earthly greatness
out of our minds. And replace it with a heavenly
greatness. The greatness that eagerly looks
to others needs as above our own. Father, grant us the grace
to look about us this very week. And to begin. A new approach
to leadership, a new approach to the pursuit of greatness.
That of service to others in our body. Lord God, we thank
you for this reminder. We ask your blessing on our day
in Jesus name. Amen. you