And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. — Mark 9:35

Last? No one wants to be the last one. It’s hard enough for us to settle for second place, let alone last. Jesus turns the order around. The person who matters most to him is not the one who wants to be famous and have a high status. Like Jesus, the most important person is willing to give up rank, status, and importance to serve. For Jesus, being last means being first in service and in God’s eyes.

 

Thought

Last? No one wants to be the last one. It’s hard enough for us to settle for second place, let alone last. Jesus turns the order around. The person who matters most to him is not the one who wants to be famous and have a high status. Like Jesus, the most important person is willing to give up rank, status, and importance to serve. For Jesus, being last means being first in service and in God’s eyes.

 

Prayer

God, my great savior, you made the world a wonderful place for me and sent your Son to save me. How can I ever thank you or pay you back for all the good things you’ve done? Help me be gracious and kind to those I serve. Give me eyes to see people the way you do, so I don’t judge them by how they look but instead value and treat them the way Jesus does. In Jesus’ precious name I pray. Amen.