How quickly we forget

Luke 22:24-28 (NLT)
24 Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. 25 Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ 26 But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. 27 Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves. 28 “You have stayed with me in my time of trial. 29 And just as my Father has granted me a Kingdom, I now grant you the right 30 to eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom. And you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.


This is an interesting conversation taking place among the disciples considering statements Jesus had just made. His previous words were, “But here at this table, sitting among us as a friend, is the man who will betray me. For it has been determined that the Son of Man must die. But what sorrow awaits the one who betrays him.” Here Jesus tells them one of them is about to betray Him and that He is going to die. The disciples first question who would betray Jesus and then they switch to asking who would be the greatest among themselves. Jesus reminded them the greatest will be the least, the leader as a servant; saying “Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves?”


There are times when we quickly forget God and turn all the attention back on ourselves. Instead of praising God for what He has done in our lives we start to dwell on our miseries. Instead of thanking God for the meals on our tables, we wine instead about those things we do not have. Most of us are self centered in that we think of ourselves first. Even the disciples were guilty of this quickly turning their attention away from the pain Jesus was about to face to thinking about how great they could be. Yet Jesus did not scold them for forgetting the pain He was facing; instead he reminded them of what it meant to be a leader in His kingdom. A leader puts self last and serves those who are around them.