August 18th, 2026
by Chris Comstock
by Chris Comstock
So You Want to Be the Greatest? What the Bible Says About True Greatness
Most of us want to matter. We want our lives to count for something. But what does it actually mean to be great, and are we pursuing it the right way? Jesus had a direct answer for His disciples when they argued about who among them was the greatest, and His answer still challenges us today.
What Did Jesus Say About Being the Greatest?
In Mark chapter 9, Jesus and His disciples were traveling to Capernaum. While He walked ahead, the disciples were quietly arguing among themselves about who would be the greatest in His kingdom. When they arrived, Jesus asked them what they had been discussing. They went silent, because they knew the conversation was out of line.
Jesus sat down, gathered the twelve, and said something that flipped their expectations completely:
"If anyone would be first, He must be last of all and servant of all." - Mark 9:35 English Standard Version (ESV)
That is not how the world defines greatness. But it is exactly how Jesus defines it.
Jesus sat down, gathered the twelve, and said something that flipped their expectations completely:
"If anyone would be first, He must be last of all and servant of all." - Mark 9:35 English Standard Version (ESV)
That is not how the world defines greatness. But it is exactly how Jesus defines it.
Is It Wrong to Want to Be Great?
It is not a sin to want to be great in the Kingdom of God. The problem is not the desire. The problem is the wrong motivation and the wrong method used to get there.
You can do the right thing with the wrong motive. You can be technically correct and still be completely wrong in the way you went about it. Jesus was not correcting His disciples for caring about their role in the kingdom. He was correcting the pride, jealousy, and self-promotion driving their conversation.
You can do the right thing with the wrong motive. You can be technically correct and still be completely wrong in the way you went about it. Jesus was not correcting His disciples for caring about their role in the kingdom. He was correcting the pride, jealousy, and self-promotion driving their conversation.
The Wrong Ways People Try to Be Great
Comparing Yourself to Others
Comparison is one of the most common traps. When we measure ourselves against others, we almost always tilt the scale in our own favor. We judge others by a standard that conveniently makes us look better. This kind of thinking breeds resentment and pride at the same time.
Striving for Power and Position
In many churches, the person leading is not always the one standing at the front. Sometimes it is someone working behind the scenes, pulling strings, managing information, and steering decisions. That kind of power-seeking is not leadership. It is control. And it has no place in the body of Christ.
Jesus should be the one leading. He does not pull strings. He leads by His Spirit.
Jesus should be the one leading. He does not pull strings. He leads by His Spirit.
Division and Factions
When people compete for influence, groups form. Cliques develop. One group wants more worship, another wants more Bible study, another wants more outreach. Before long, the church is divided by party Spirit rather than united by purpose. This is exactly what happened in the church at Corinth, where people were saying, "I follow Paul," or "I follow Apollos," or "I follow Cephas." Even Jesus's name was being used as a faction label.
Tearing Down Reputations
When people are competing for position, they often start talking negatively about others. Sometimes what they say is not even true. And even when there is truth to it, the question is: why are you spreading it? The Bible says love covers a multitude of sins. That does not mean we ignore real problems. It means our goal should be restoration, not exposure.
Losing the Vision and Undermining the Mission
When the disciples were arguing about who would be greatest, they were not thinking about the next village, the next city, or the people ahead who needed to hear the gospel. Their focus had turned completely inward.
The same thing happens in churches today. When people are focused on their own position and recognition, the Great Commission gets pushed aside. Jesus called us to go into all the world and make disciples. That mission gets undermined when we are more concerned with our own status than with the people around us who are lost.
The same thing happens in churches today. When people are focused on their own position and recognition, the Great Commission gets pushed aside. Jesus called us to go into all the world and make disciples. That mission gets undermined when we are more concerned with our own status than with the people around us who are lost.
Misrepresenting God to the World
When Christians act out of pride, jealousy, and self-promotion, it gives people a distorted picture of who God is. David's sin with Bathsheba led to the surrounding nations blaspheming the name of God. God forgave David, but the damage to His reputation among the nations was real.
For many people, you are the only version of Jesus they will ever encounter. At work, at home, in your neighborhood, people are forming their understanding of Christianity based on what they see in you.
For many people, you are the only version of Jesus they will ever encounter. At work, at home, in your neighborhood, people are forming their understanding of Christianity based on what they see in you.
What Does True Greatness Look Like?
It Starts with Love
When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, He answered clearly:
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." - Matthew 22:37-39 English Standard Version (ESV)
Everything else hangs on love. You can do the right things, say the right words, and give generously, but if love is not the foundation, it means nothing.
As Paul wrote:
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal." - 1 Corinthians 13:1 English Standard Version (ESV)
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." - Matthew 22:37-39 English Standard Version (ESV)
Everything else hangs on love. You can do the right things, say the right words, and give generously, but if love is not the foundation, it means nothing.
As Paul wrote:
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal." - 1 Corinthians 13:1 English Standard Version (ESV)
It Requires Genuine Humility
Humility is not thinking less of yourself than you actually are. God made you valuable. You have worth. Humility simply means not thinking more of yourself than you are, and genuinely recognizing the value in others.
Jesus, who created all things, humbled Himself and became a man. On the night before His crucifixion, He wrapped a towel around His waist, filled a basin with water, and washed His disciples' feet. That was the job of the lowest servant in the household. And Jesus did it willingly.
Jesus, who created all things, humbled Himself and became a man. On the night before His crucifixion, He wrapped a towel around His waist, filled a basin with water, and washed His disciples' feet. That was the job of the lowest servant in the household. And Jesus did it willingly.
It Means Being Content with God's Assignment
Miriam and Aaron grew jealous of Moses in Numbers chapter 12. They said, "Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?" God heard them. And the consequences were serious.
God chose Moses. Not because Moses was the most impressive candidate, but because God chose Him. The same is true for every role in the church. It is not about who campaigns hardest or who gets the most votes. It is about who God appoints.
When someone else is promoted or recognized, the right response is to rejoice with them and ask God what He has for you.
God chose Moses. Not because Moses was the most impressive candidate, but because God chose Him. The same is true for every role in the church. It is not about who campaigns hardest or who gets the most votes. It is about who God appoints.
When someone else is promoted or recognized, the right response is to rejoice with them and ask God what He has for you.
It Looks Like a Servant's Heart
Jesus said clearly:
"Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." - Mark 10:45 English Standard Version (ESV)
When you serve other people, you are serving God. Jesus said, "When you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." That changes everything about how we view ordinary acts of service, whether it is picking up trash off the floor, working in the nursery, or greeting people at the door.
"Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." - Mark 10:45 English Standard Version (ESV)
When you serve other people, you are serving God. Jesus said, "When you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." That changes everything about how we view ordinary acts of service, whether it is picking up trash off the floor, working in the nursery, or greeting people at the door.
It Is Empowered by Grace and Marked by Joy
When we serve with the right motive, God's grace shows up to help carry the load. Serving in our own strength leads to burnout. Serving in His strength leads to something different.
Hebrews 12 says that Jesus endured the cross because of the joy set before Him. The cost of serving is real, but it is temporary. The fruit is eternal. Parents understand this. Raising children is costly, inconvenient, and exhausting. But when you can see what God is doing in their lives, you do it with joy.
Hebrews 12 says that Jesus endured the cross because of the joy set before Him. The cost of serving is real, but it is temporary. The fruit is eternal. Parents understand this. Raising children is costly, inconvenient, and exhausting. But when you can see what God is doing in their lives, you do it with joy.
It Points Glory Back to God
"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." - Matthew 5:16 English Standard Version (ESV)
The goal of serving well is not to build your own reputation. It is to make God visible. When people see something good in you, the right response is to point them to the source.
The goal of serving well is not to build your own reputation. It is to make God visible. When people see something good in you, the right response is to point them to the source.
The People Who Might Surprise You in Heaven
There is a good chance that the people closest to the front in eternity will not be the ones who were most visible on earth. It might be the intercessor who prayed faithfully for years, unknown to almost everyone. It might be the person who quietly served behind the scenes while others received the recognition.
Almost every great revival in history started not with the evangelist on the stage, but with a small group of people who began to pray. The visible leaders got the attention. But God knows who started it.
Do your part. Be faithful where God has placed you. That is what greatness looks like in His kingdom.
Almost every great revival in history started not with the evangelist on the stage, but with a small group of people who began to pray. The visible leaders got the attention. But God knows who started it.
Do your part. Be faithful where God has placed you. That is what greatness looks like in His kingdom.
Life Application
This week, look for one specific opportunity to serve someone without drawing attention to yourself. It might be helping a coworker, serving in a ministry role you have been avoiding, or simply cleaning up a mess that is not yours to clean. Do it quietly, without expecting recognition, and do it as an act of worship to God.
As you go through your week, ask yourself these questions:
.True greatness in God's kingdom does not come from climbing to the top. It comes from choosing to serve. He who seeks to be first will be last, but he who serves will be first. That is not just a nice idea. It is the upside-down economy of the Kingdom of God.
As you go through your week, ask yourself these questions:
- Am I pursuing influence or position in any area of my life with the wrong motive?
- Is there someone I have been comparing myself to, or feeling jealous of, whose success I need to genuinely celebrate?
- What would it look like for me to serve the people around me the way Jesus served His disciples?
- When people see how I live and how I treat others, does it point them toward God or give them a reason to doubt Him?
.True greatness in God's kingdom does not come from climbing to the top. It comes from choosing to serve. He who seeks to be first will be last, but he who serves will be first. That is not just a nice idea. It is the upside-down economy of the Kingdom of God.
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