Sermon Tone Analysis
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*Intro* – A pastor took one of his elders along to a conference where grand testimonies were being given about God’s work.
But when someone asked the size of their church the elder was surprised to hear his pastor reply, “Between 8 and 900.”
As soon as possible he pulled his pastor, “Pastor, how could you say we have between 8 and 900?
You know we only average about 80 people each Sunday.”
The pastor replied, “Right, and 80 is between 8 and 900!”
We all want to be somebody, don’t we?
And if it takes a little spin-doctoring to make it happen, so be it!
Jesus’ disciples are no exception.
He has just reminded them that He’s on His way to die in Jerusalem.
They are appalled, but afraid to ask for clarification.
In fact, shortly they renew a habitual debate.
V. 46, “An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest.”
This argument was their travel pastime and continued to the night before Jesus died.
Jesus had no sooner served them the first communion in Luke 22 than we read in Lu 22:24: “A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.”
These guys were incorrigible!
Thus Jesus grounds them with the unnerving observation in v. 48, “For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”
Such a statement defies human understanding – but it reflects God’s insistence that Humility must triumph over pride and human ambition.
Why? Let’s look.
*I.
My Humility is the Best Thing For Others*
V. 46, “An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest.”
The disciples were merely a product of their times.
Palestinians looked up to the Pharisees as models of piety and decorum.
And what did they see when they looked there?
Matt 23:4-6 tells us: “They do all their deeds to be seen by others.
For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.”
The Pharisees loved attention.
Thrived on it.
Made a career of it.
Now here are the followers of Christ thinking against all odds that they’ve got the inside track to the kingdom.
This is their chance to be somebody; don’t want to miss that!
But did the pride of the Pharisees benefit their society?
Great question.
Listen to Jesus’ answer in Matt 23:13.
Man, it’s devastating.
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces.
For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.”
Let me translate: “Better you guys had never been born.
Not only are you going to hell; you are taking others with you who might otherwise repent.
You are cursed.”
Their pride was a curse on their life.
It always is.
Pride says, “Look at me.
Look how together I am spiritually.”
But is that why we’re here?
Aren’t we here to make disciples for Christ, not for ourselves.
To glorify God, not self.
To the praise of His glory, not ours.
Pride shoves Jesus right into the backseat.
Imagine finding out some day that someone missed Christ because of our posturing!
That’d be devastating.
But it’s what the Pharisees were doing and disciples copying.
A guy stopped at a yellow light one day rather than trying to beat it.
The tailgating woman behind him was furious.
She honked her horn and screamed in frustration as she dropped the make-up she was applying.
She was still in mid-rant when a policeman tapped on her window, put her under arrest and threw her in jail despite her protests.
A couple of hours later, she was escorted to the front lobby and released.
The arresting officer told her, “I want to apologize for my mistake, ma’am.
You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front and cussing a blue streak.
I noticed your ‘What would Jesus do?’ sticker, your ‘Choose Life’ license plate holder, and your chrome-plated Christian fish emblem, so naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car.”
Is that devastating or what?
How many times could that have been us?
Dear friends, when we live like life is about us, not about Him, it is not good for others.
Humility is good for others because it may attract them to Christ rather than repel them.
Humility is also good for other believers.
Pride, devastates the body.
Our function is to build others up, not to tear down by insisting on my way.
God says in I Cor 12:7, “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit (to show off?
No!) for the common good.”
It’s kind of hard to be working toward someone else’s good at the same time we are lording it over them, insisting on our way, our rights, or position, our priority in some way, don’t you think?
Which is exactly why Paul says a few vv later in 13:2, “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”
He’s saying, “Even if I were superior in every way to another person, but did not really love them, all my superiority would be absolutely useless.”
Have you ever noticed how certain things just go together?
Cars and wheels.
Tennis rackets.
Cities and streets.
Dave and Patty – my personal fav!
Well, did you know there is something that goes with pride?
There is.
You can’t have pride without it.
Pride has a partner.
It’s in Prov 28:25, “A greedy man (literally “broad soul” – translated arrogant in most translations) An arrogant man stirs up strife, but the one who trusts in the LORD will be enriched.”
Pride and strife – go together like a horse and carriage!
That’s why God urges, unless it’s a moral issue or a gospel issue – give it up!
Phil 2:3, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
Hard?
Yes, but this is how we put the gospel into practice, by doing humility for the sake of others – rather than pride for the sake of self!
The disciples were certainly not edifying one another with their debate, right?
Pride led to strife and bitterness as it will with us.
God would rather we suffered wrong than create strife.
A Navy recruit stomped on a cockroach one morning.
A petty officer asked, “What have you just done?” “Just killed a cockroach, sir,” the recruit answered.
The officer replied, “Next time salute it first.
It has more time in the Navy than you do.”
We ought to think of that next time we are thinking our way is superior to our brother or sister.
Before we kill them, it wouldn’t hurt to think about what they also have invested in their Christian life and experience.
Am I guilty of selfish ambition?
Do I consider that person more significant than me?
It’s not a suggestion the Lord makes; it’s a command, and a whole lot less Christians would be getting killed by others if we obeyed it.
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