Luke 22:24-30 Aristocracy of Humility
Good morning! Turn with me once again to the Gospel of Luke chapter 22, verses 24-30, and that’s on page 882 in the pew Bibles.
We are going to look at a brief passage this morning that doesn’t occur chronologically right after the institution of the Lord’s Supper that we looked at last week, but is rather put in this place because of its connection thematically with the passages that surround it that happen in the last week of Jesus’ life on earth.
I know that last week we didn’t spend a lot of time on the exposition of the text of Luke 22:1-23 but I would like to point you back to verses 21-23 before we read our text for this morning.
21 But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. 22 For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” 23 And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.
Now let’s read our text for this morning.
24 A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25 And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26 But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27 For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.
28 “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, 29 and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Let’s pray.
I just think that it is incredibly ironic that our passage from last time ends with an argument among the disciples and our passage for this time begins with an argument among the disciples.
Last time it was an argument over who would betray Jesus. “It can’t possibly be me!”
This time it is an argument over who was the greatest follower of Jesus. “It can’t possibly be you!”
Now we know that it was Judas Iscariot that betrayed Jesus to the chief priests, but no less than 24 hours later all of the disciples would desert Him. It was Simon of Cyrene that they made carry the cross of Christ, where was Simon Peter? It was Joseph of Arimathea that asked Pilate for Jesus’ body not James and John. Where were they?
It’s thoughts like that that makes our text for this morning really frustrating to me. But I have that luxury because I wasn’t there. I’m sure that I would be just as hard to find as the rest of them.
The problem at the root of these two arguments is exactly the same: “I couldn’t possibly betray the Master,” and, “I am the greatest among the disciples.”
In fact, it’s the same root that got Adam and Eve kicked out of the Garden of Eden, it’s the same root that made Cain murder Abel. It’s the same root of every sin ever committed ever! Pride.
Pride is always the problem. It motivates wicked ambition, just as it motivated the foolish denial of the disciples.
RC Sproul wrote, “While Jesus was preparing Himself for the darkest act of humiliation in the history of the world, His disciples were arguing about their own glory.”
In their foolish imagination all that they could conceive of was an earthly kingdom.
RC Sproul also wrote, “One of the greatest burdens of leadership is the propensity for people to compete with one another rather than cooperating as a team, and Jesus’ disciples were no different in this respect.”
25 And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors.
As far as earth is concerned, ruling over others is the highest class. People have to do what you say, people have to listen to you.
They called themselves benefactors because they used their wealth and privilege to sway the opinions of others and used their beneficence to create dependants. It reminds me of that old Ronald Reagan quote, “The nine most dangerous words are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’”
And this is what the disciples were really after, power, influence, status. How Hollywood can you get?!
They wanted to be known for how great they were, they wanted people to be dependent on them and hang on their words.
I don’t mean to oversell this but this is really bad.
Fortunately, pride ended with the Twelve, thankfully we don’t have to worry about it anymore…
Alistair Begg pointed out that if you don’t think this kind of pride exists anymore try going to a pastor’s conference. “How big is your church, how many services do you have, how many programs are you running?” Again, thankfully, pride is limited only to those in ministry…
Comparing ourselves to each other is a losing battle, and it is a battle that is only fueled by pride.
Three weeks ago at the Fire Academy, our squads participated in search and rescue drills down in Concord. It was one of the most challenging days I can remember. We had our vision partially obscured as if the rooms were filled with thick smoke as we searched room by room for victims. Not all squads had equal success in finding victims. But our instructor, Instructor Keller, reminded us, “Don’t compare yourselves to the other squads. Compare yourself to who you were five minutes ago.”
The disciples were guilty of comparing themselves to each other and counting themselves as more worthy of honor than the next guy.
“The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26 But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27 For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.
The youngest’s business was to serve, and often this is still the case. When we are sitting in the living room at our house watching tv and the dog asks to go out, who do you think gets asked to let him out?
But Jesus gives us an even better example in Himself, He is the King who came to serve.
John 13:1-7, and 12-17…
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”
12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
Warren Wiersbe said, “True greatness means to be like Jesus, and that means being a servant to others.”
The disciples imagined an earthly throne but Jesus said, “No, your thrones are coming, but for now it’s the basin and towel of service. That’s how you become great in the kingdom.”
RC Sproul wrote, “Unless we are prepared to participate in the humiliation of Christ we cannot participate in His exaltation.”
28 “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, 29 and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Exaltation is not for now, it’s for the coming kingdom. The disciples had seats at the table in the Coming Kingdom reserved for them, thrones reserved for them to sit on and judge the tribes of Israel, but not yet.
For now, for them, and for us, it’s humble service above self. It’s God opposing the proud but giving grace to the humble.
It gives me great hope to think that this rag-tag bunch of selfish jerks would go on to be filled with, and changed by, the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ, and through them He would change the world.
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:1-11
Amen.
