Our text reports a conflict among the disciples debating which of them is the greatest. When Jesus decided to go to Capernaum, his mission was interrupted by the petty disagreement among the disciples. Before he could proceed, he sensed this difficulty among his followers. He set before them an example of a child saying that they should be as humble as him. This left a quandary. They thought the matter was easy to resolve by their arguing. Instead, he presented to them the challenge of choosing the best way to live. This challenge extends to us, also. How are we going to resolve the declaration of Christ?
We must ask ourselves what is real. What is the real issue? What is the real challenge? What is the real debate? To answer these questions, we must properly assess the situation. The best example is that of David when he faced Goliath. He took five stones from the brook anticipating the need to kill the brothers of Goliath if necessary. As Christians, we cannot settle for anything that’s less such as money or our position. We cannot settle for wrongs such as revenge or hatred. Without our own prejudiced and without outside influence, the challenge is for us to discover the ulterior motive in the debate. That means to prioritize the source of the problems.
We must properly assume responsibility for our decisions. This is where many people go astray. They have no problem making a decision but are unwilling to accept the consequences of their decisions. It’s not a question of who caused the problem. The answer lies in how to resolve the problem by subjecting our emotions to the wisdom of God. To resolve this, we must properly acknowledge Jesus in our life. If Jesus is love, wise, and powerful, then want? Are we going to live by our own chatter or by our own direction toward Christ? Most people decide to pick and choose their direction. We cannot fall to this temptation. We must consistently point ourselves toward Christ who can deliver us and answer us in whenever we face.
Earlier I asked the question, “now want?” One of my favorite Bible verses is found in John 1:15 that says God has given us the power to become his children. Unfortunately, there are people who surrender the power of their own lives to worldly circumstances. It is our responsibility before exploring what is the best way to live is to reclaim that power so that it operates without restriction within our hearts and minds. By reclaiming our power, we can pray effective prayers. We can become sensitive to the presence of the Holy Spirit. We can enhance other strengths that we have through God. We can appreciate other areas of blessedness that God has provided us.
As we do this, we will find ourselves expressing a biblical faith, not a human directive. Though our circumstances may change, Jesus does not, his Word does not. It is important that we allow for God’s timing, for God’s method of resolution. As we serve the Lord, we can take steps within our own abilities, divesting ourselves of self-pity, the attitude of defeat, and distractions from this world. The disciples were comparing themselves to the world for who would be the greatest. We must compare ourselves to Christ. Let us focus on how God has helped us make accomplishments, not on problems that appear. As we do so we will be consistent for how to choose the best way to live. This
Christian Writer 