These verses reflect the disciples measuring up against each other, considering which one of them is greater than all the others combined.  I wonder what criteria they were using.

Jesus asked “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest… He said. “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:33-35

1. Our faith is our practiced way of life.
2. All things come from God. All are God’s.
3. Nothing is greater than another, everything functions as God designed it. Three thoughts that we must always bear in mind if we are walking in the footsteps of Jesus.

I always say that we shouldn’t compare ourselves with others, because they are areas in which we are the experts r no one around us has that same skill level, and so there will be few persons who know as much as we do.  Then there are other areas, where we have to follow the advice of others as they in that area or instance   are more skilled than us. 

Secondly I encourage persons to be their best selves that is, the person God has called us to be.  Mark here causes me to question if being our best self and greatness is the same thing.   If that is so, it seems I could be understood as suggesting you should want to be great, that you should strive for greatness.   I do not believe greatness as the disciples used it is necessarily how we understand greatness today. Nothing is wrong with being great but it should not be at the expense of others

Jesus defines achieving greatness as being not 1st or at the top of your game, like Usain Bolt or the American gymnast Simone Byles. It is more like the ability to do well while being at the bottom of the pile. Being unnoticed, a nobody, yet your skills are top notch and you execute whatever you are doing well. 

Jesus says we need more than being great to live a full and satisfactory life.  In some ways it is egotistic as it says I am better than the rest of you. This I believe is how we usually understand greatness.

Jesus says greatness is being of value to others. It is being at the bottom of the pile and unnoticed, yet doing your best is being great. He calls it Servanthood. In that space you are working for God and others.  You have yielded to humility.  It’s opening yourself to the possibilities that lies before you, looking from God’s point of view rather than looking on situations through past experiences, your biases and seeing yourself through the eyes of others.

So many of us find ourselves in this position and become frustrated and depressed, and/or unhappy as no one notices us. We do not feel appreciated. We believe we are not enough. We have not accomplished enough. Wanting to be great I then understand to be wanting to matter to others, for others to recognize our value and worth. 

Walking in the Jesus way, changes the questions we ask ourselves.  We no longer choose to ask: Am I successful enough? Have I reached my full potential, or have I failed to work hard enough, smart enough to get there? We ask instead – is my work glorifying God and neighbour.  Can others see Christ reflected in me? When we are at this level of spiritual maturity, we would be enough for God, for ourselves and for others. We are then exhibiting greatness. 

Remembering that the greatness we aspire to, is not as others perceive it, Let us allow the strength of God to pilots us. The power of God to preserves us. the wisdom of God to instructs us. the hand of God to protects us. the way of God to directs us. the shield of God to defend us. May the host of God guard us against the snares of evil and the temptations of the world. Where God is all is well all will be well all manner of things will be well.