The Perspective of Greatness

I find something fascinating about Jesus. In Luke’s Gospel 9:46-48, the disciples were arguing of which of them would be greatest in the kingdom. Jesus knew what they were doing as well as the attitudes they held in their heart, so verse 47 tells us how He put the argument of greatness into perspective.

47 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, 48 and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great." NKJV

The child may have been inconspicuous and unnoticed until Jesus put the child next to Himself. Then Jesus points to the child as a way to see Himself and as an example of the path to greatness.

In Matthew 25:40 Jesus spoke of the endtime judgement:

40 And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren , you did it to Me.'” NKJV

Then again in Revelation 5:5-7
5 But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals."

6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. NKJV

Jesus said, look at the child and you receive Me, minister to the least of these and you’ve ministered unto Me, and you look for a Lion and see a Lamb. There is something very powerful being illustrated. It is about perspective in leadership. It is about our focus and our understanding of greatness. So few people comprehend this dynamic.