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34 -- WHO WILL BE THE GREATEST?
Luke 22:24-30 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.
And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.' But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.
For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves. "But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
As has been stressed a number of times, the Kingdom of God is a literal kingdom that will rule over all nations on Earth (Daniel 7:13-14; Isaiah 60:12; Micah 4:1-7; Revelation 11:15) -- and the disciples of Jesus Christ are offered the astonishing reward of helping rule that kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:2; Revelation 5:10; Hebrews 2:5-18; 2 Timothy 4:8). Granted, that Kingdom does already rule here now in the minds and hearts of those who are loyal to it and, in effect, acting as ambassadors for it (2 Corinthians 5:20).
Notice in especially the last line of this section where Jesus informs the apostles that their particular responsibility in that kingdom will be to rule or judge the twelve tribes of Israel. It was this vision of a new and better world and the opportunity to bring peace, prosperity and joy to it that excited the Early Church -- as it should excite every Christian person today.
The reluctance of scholars to accept this as well as other plain statements in the Bible at face value is well illustrated by the "Layman's Bible Commentary" which says of this section: "What is meant by the apostle 'sitting on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel' is not certain. It can hardly be taken literally, however, but is rather a word picture".
The apostles, however, were excited by the vision of the Kingdom of God, a reality which they apparently thought was very near at hand, despite Jesus' earlier comments -- and they had even been discussing in what appears to be a quite un-Christian fashion the question of which of them should be considered the greatest.
In putting them straight, Jesus makes two points: 1) he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger -- thereby requiring us to show full and equal respect for all people, and 2) he who governs be as he who serves -- thereby requiring us to wield whatever power and authority we might possess for greater good of other people.
Paul appears to have these principles in mind when he urges Christians: "Do nothing out of selfish ambitions or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also the interests of others" (Philippians 2:3-4). He then continues by citing the amazing example of Jesus himself: "Who, being in the very form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness" (verses 6-7).
This same message is also passed on later by Peter when he urges church leaders: "clothe yourselves with humility" (1 Peter 5:1-6) -- or as some versions render it: "put on the apron of service."
The dispute among the apostles had already arisen on a previous occasion when the ambitious mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, asked Jesus to grant that her two sons sit on his right and left hand when he came into his kingdom. Commentators suggest that the reason for her request may be that she thought her sons more capable than the other apostles, an notion possibly encouraged by the fact that when Jesus chose the twelve, no doubt on the basis of discerned innate abilities, he nicknamed James and John "the sons of thunder" (Mark 3:17), possibly implying leadership or powerful speaking ability. In any case, Jesus said that the decision was not his to make.
Incidentally, if the scholars' view of the Kingdom of God were correct, perhaps Jesus could have put the ambitious mother right with a simple comment along the lines of : "Let's get this straight once and for all, Mrs Zebedee! There is no kingdom -- it's just a feeling in people's hearts. OK? And there are no thrones -- that's just poetic language!" Instead, however, he offered her the same counsel as that given on this occasion.
Nevertheless, the problem had apparently simmered on in the minds of the apostles, and some commentators suggest that the matter was brought to the boil again on this occasion by Peter -- theorizing that he, possibly being the oldest of the group, might have seen his age as a justification of seniority.