A person who humbles himself and serves the church and his neighbors, like Jesus, is great in the kingdom of God.

 

A person who humbles himself and serves the church and his neighbors, like Jesus, is great in the kingdom of God.

 

 

 

 

“A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. Jesus said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.’” (Luke 22:24–27).

 

 

(1)  When I read and meditated on today's passage, Luke 22:24–27, in the Korean Bible and then read it in the Greek Bible, the first thing that caught my attention was the conjunction “δὲ” (de) that appears in verses 24, 25, and 26.  In particular, I became interested not only in the connection between the “δὲ” (de) in verse 24 (“also”) and verses 21–23, but also in understanding more specifically how the “δὲ” (de) in verse 26 (“but,” according to the New Korean Standard Version) forms a contrast with what is said in verse 25.

 

  (a)  In Greek, “δὲ” (de) is a key conjunction that can be translated in a wide variety of ways depending on the context, ranging from simple connection (“and,” “now,” “then”) to strong contrast (“but”). The contextual meaning and theological contrast conveyed by “δὲ” (de) in verses 24 and 26 have been specifically explained by artificial intelligence (internet):

 

1.   The “δὲ” (de) in verse 24 [“also”] (A break from the preceding background and a shocking   reversal)

 

Contextual connection (verses 21–23 → verse 24): In the preceding verses 21–23, Jesus was celebrating the Last Supper and foretold Judas's betrayal, saying, “The hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table.”  The disciples were greatly shocked and began asking one another, “Who among us is going to do this?”

 

The role of “δὲ” (de) in verse 24: Here, “δὲ” (de) is used with the sense of “but then,” “however,” “at the same time,” or something similar.  The disciples, who had just been seriously discussing who the betrayer might be, suddenly changed the direction of the conversation and began arguing about “which of us is the greatest.”  The conjunction connects these two scenes.

 

Point for meditation: The “δὲ” (de) in verse 24 dramatically exposes the disciples' profound spiritual insensitivity and selfishness.  In the midst of the solemn atmosphere surrounding Jesus' coming death on the cross and His betrayal, the disciples' attention was still focused on their own power and position in the hierarchy.  It serves as the signal of a tragic reversal.

 

2.   The “δὲ” (de) in verse 26 [“but”] (A complete contrast with worldly values)

 

Contextual connection (verse 25 ↔ verse 26): In verse 25, Jesus explains the values of the world.  The kings and rulers of the world lord it over their people, exercise authority, and call themselves “Benefactors.”

 

The role of “δὲ” (de) in verse 26: Verse 26 begins in the Greek original: “ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐχ οὕτως” (hymeis de ouch houtōs).  That is, “But you are not to be like that.”  Here, “δὲ” (de) is a strong conjunction of contrast: “But.”

 

The specific structure of the contrast: Beginning with “δὲ” (de), Jesus contrasts the leadership of the world and the leadership of the kingdom of God in completely opposite terms.

 

The world's standard (v. 25): Great = the one who rules, exercises power, and receives honor.

 

The standard of the kingdom of God (v. 26): Great = the one who is like the younger; the one who rules = the one who is like the servant.

 

Point for meditation: The “δὲ” (de) in verse 26 draws a clear boundary showing which world the disciples are to belong to.  Jesus seems first to acknowledge how the world operates, but with this one word, “δὲ,”  He overturns the world's entire way of thinking and demands that His disciples be distinct and set apart in holiness.

 

Summary:

 

The “δὲ” (de) in verse 24 [“also”]: A shocking change of atmosphere between the solemn prediction of Jesus' suffering and the disciples' immature desire for power and status.  The “δὲ” (de) in verse 26 [“but,” New Korean Standard Version]: A powerful, uncompromising contrast between worldly leadership that rules and the kingdom-of-God leadership that serves (Internet).

 

(b) The “δὲ” (de) in verse 25 also plays a very important role as a conjunction that serves as a bridge for understanding the flow of this passage. Verse 25 begins in the Greek original: “ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς…” (ho de eipen autois…).  That is, “But he [Jesus] said to them…” or “Then he said to them…”  The contextual meaning and theological role of “δὲ” (de) here are as follows (Internet):

 

                     1.  Contextual meaning: Jesus' “gentle intervention” in response to the disciples' “immature argument”

 

Connection with verse 24: In verse 24, the disciples were engaged in an intense dispute over “which of them was the greatest.”

 

The role of “δὲ” (de) in verse 25: Here, “δὲ” (de) can be translated as “then,” “thereupon,” “in response,” or “but.”  It interrupts the shameful flow of the disciples' conversation, which had become chaotic because of their argument over rank, and shifts the situation toward Jesus' authoritative teaching.  While the disciples were noisily arguing, “δὲ” (de) introduces Jesus as He calmly begins to teach them what true leadership really is.

 

2.   Theological and rhetorical role: laying the foundation for the contrast (Exposing the world's way of doing things)

 

Before Jesus makes the full contrast in verse 26—“But you are not to be like that”—He uses “δὲ” (de) in verse 25 to take control of the conversation and first expose the nature of worldly leadership.

 

The “δὲ” (de) of verse 25 prepares the way to show that the disciples' thinking—“I should become great and rule”—is ultimately no different from the oppressive way of the Gentile rulers of the world.

 

Overall flow of “δὲ” (de) in verses 24, 25, and 26

 

When we look at the “δὲ” (de) in these three verses consecutively, Jesus' correction of the disciples' values becomes especially dramatic:

 

1.   Verse 24 — “δὲ” (de), reversal: At a time when the disciples should have been solemn because of the prediction of Judas's betrayal, “but then” (δὲ) they began arguing over rank.

 

2.   Verse 25 — “δὲ” (de), intervention: While the disciples were arguing about who was greater, “then” (δὲ) Jesus intervened in the conversation and explained the world's way of exercising authority.

 

3.    Verse 26 — “δὲ” (de), complete contrast: The world rules through power, “but you” (ὑμεῖς δὲ) must become servants.

 

Ultimately, the “δὲ” (de) in verse 25 can be understood as the signal of Jesus' divine intervention: it stops the disciples' foolish argument and moves them from the values of the world (v. 25) toward the values of the kingdom of God (v. 26) (internet).

 

(1)    Second, I became interested in knowing the specific meaning of the Greek word φιλονεικία (philoneikia), translated as “dispute” in verse 24: “a dispute arose among them as to which of them was greatest.”

 

(a)   This Greek word is a very distinctive and powerful word that reveals, in the most naked way, the old self and worldly values that the disciples had not yet been able to abandon.  Artificial intelligence has specifically pointed out the etymology, meaning, and spiritual message of this word in this passage (Internet):

 

                     1.   Etymological meaning: “loving to win”

 

φιλονεικία (philoneikia) is a compound word made up of two Greek words:

 

φίλος (philos): “loving,” “fond of,” or “that which one loves”

νεῖκος (neikos): “fight,” “argument,” “conflict,” or “conquest”

 

Therefore, its etymological sense can be rendered literally as “loving to fight” or “a desire to win / a love of victory.”  The disciples' dispute was not merely a disagreement or verbal quarrel.  It describes a clash driven by a strong desire for dominance and competition: “I must stand above you” and “I must win at all costs.”

 

2.   A word used only once in the New Testament (Hapax Legomenon)

 

This word appears only once in the entire New Testament, here in Luke 22:24.  Why did Luke, the biblical writer, choose this word rather than other common words for conflict or dispute, such as:

 

μάχη (machē): a fierce verbal dispute, heated argument, or conflict (Titus 3:9; 2 Cor. 7:5)

 

ἔρις (eris): discord or conflict arising from deep jealousy, hostility, partisanship, and division (1 Cor. 1:11; Gal. 5:20)

 

The purpose was to expose how radically the disciples' behavior contrasted with the values of the kingdom of God.

In Greco-Roman culture (Greek culture), φιλονεικία (philoneikia), “dispute,” was used to describe the fierce competitive spirit of politicians or athletes who sought to trample over their rivals and rise to the highest position, particularly in contexts where honor and status were highly valued.

 

With this one word, Luke exposes the disciples' spiritual condition as having fallen to essentially the same level as the power struggles of secular Gentile politicians.

 

3.   The spiritual message in the context

 

The tragic timing of the dispute: When combined with the “δὲ” (de) in verse 24 that we considered earlier, this word becomes even more tragic.  Jesus was about to give His own life for humanity—the ultimate act of humbling Himself (the cross)—while the disciples were doing the exact opposite.  They were engaged in φιλονεικία (philoneikia), a competitive struggle to achieve the greatest possible “exaltation.”

 

A struggle for control beyond a mere verbal argument: This dispute was not an academic discussion or simple disagreement.  It was a struggle over who would occupy the second-in-command position when Jesus was absent—or when they believed Jesus would become king.  It was a battle of selfish pride in which none of them was willing to yield to another.

 

Summary:

 

The disciples' dispute (φιλονεικία, philoneikia) was not merely an accidental verbal quarrel.  It was a collision of worldly competitiveness and selfish ambition—the desire to win, obtain honor and power, even at the expense of others.

 

To these disciples, who were filled with this φιλονεικία—the desire to win, Jesus, through verses 26–27, called them instead to become “the one who serves” [διακονῶν (diakōn)] and to learn how to lose rather than how to win (Internet).

 

(i)       The fact that the spiritual condition of Jesus’ disciples had fallen to the very same level as the power struggles of secular Gentile politicians led me to think that, not only within the church today, but also within presbyteries and general assemblies, this same kind of “dispute” [φιλονεικία (philoneikia)], at the same level as the power struggles of secular politicians, is taking place.  I think the problem lies with the leaders of the church.

·         The spiritual insensitivity of the disciples, who were fighting over rank right up until just before Jesus’ suffering on the cross, is like a mirror that reflects exactly what is happening today in Korean churches and denominations (presbyteries and general assemblies).  The observation that the “philoneikia” (the dispute over rank and the desire to win) that Scripture preserved as evidence against the disciples 2,000 years ago is being reproduced today, in the form of “power struggles,” among the leaders of the church—who should be the most holy—is a very painful yet accurate diagnosis of reality. We can identify several aspects of this problem of “philoneikia” among church leaders by connecting it with the flow of the passage (Internet):

 

a.   The problem of the “desire to dominate,” longing for honor and power

 

The disciples mistakenly thought that Jesus would overthrow Rome and assume political kingship.  The overheated elections, factional politics, and struggles over interests that take place today in presbyteries and general assemblies are essentially the same. This is because spiritual authority is misunderstood as worldly “political power” or a “position of honor.”  As Luke points out, the competitive desire of worldly politicians to rise to the highest position—even by stepping on their opponents—is still lurking in the hearts of church leaders.

 

b.   “Spiritual insensitivity” that has become separated from the Lord’s Supper (the cross)

 

The reason the disciples’ dispute was so tragic was its timing. Jesus was preparing for His death on the cross by giving the Lord’s Supper, giving His body and blood, yet the disciples were arguing over their positions at that very table.

 

The phenomenon today in which church leaders conduct worship services, celebrate the Lord’s Supper, and preach about the cross, yet engage in power struggles as soon as they enter a meeting room, likewise demonstrates that the spirit of the cross has become completely separated from actual life and ministry. It is evidence of spiritual insensitivity.

 

c.   Jesus’ remedy: a complete reversal of leadership

 

Because Jesus knew this very problem, He immediately gave the disciples, who were caught up in “philoneikia” (“dispute”), the teaching in verses 25–26.  He declared that while the leaders of the world lord it over and dominate, leaders in the kingdom of God must be like “the younger (the one who is last)”, and the one who rules must be like “the one who serves (a servant, diakonon).”

 

Ultimately, the problem is not the congregation but the “corruption of church leaders” who have exchanged the values of the kingdom of God for the values of the world.  The moment a leader leaves the position of serving and begins to seek the position of domination, that place ceases to be a church and becomes a secular Greek-style political arena (Internet).

 

-      Then, what should the members of the church do, and how should they respond, when they see church leaders who have turned the church into such a secular political arena?

 

n  The hearts of church members who look upon the leaders of churches and denominations that have been transformed into secular political arenas can only be broken.  They may experience anger, disappointment, and sometimes even spiritual helplessness.  In such circumstances, Jesus teaches, through biblical principles, what believers should do and how they should live as citizens of the kingdom of God, rather than stumbling or responding in the same worldly manner (Internet):

 

                                                   1.   We must fix our eyes not on “people,” but on “Jesus’ values” (Focus).

 

The greatest danger to guard against when witnessing the corruption of leaders is “spiritual stumbling together”—allowing our own faith to be shaken or even leaving the church because of a leader’s sin.

The lesson of the passage: The disciples fought among themselves, but Jesus quietly continued on the way to the cross. Believers must move away from a faith that focuses on people (leaders) and fix their eyes solely on Jesus, who says in verse 27, “I am among you as the one who serves.”  Leaders may disappoint us, but the Lord Himself protects His church.

 

2.  With holy discernment, we must reject the “ways of the world” (Discern).

 

We must not blindly follow leaders who wield power within the church, nor be swept up into their political factions.

 

Holy rejection: The worldly rulers in verse 25 exercise authority while presenting themselves as “Benefactors.”  Believers must spiritually discern and reject the “ways of the world” of leaders who attempt to control the church through money, honor, and power.

 

Prayer that does not remain silent: It is not grace simply to cover up their evil actions unconditionally.  Just as Nehemiah saw the corruption of religious leaders, grieved deeply over it, and pursued reform, believers must exercise a spiritual veto by refusing to participate in nonessential power structures.

 

3.  We must begin a “revolution of servanthood” in the small community to which we belong (Practice).

 

Jesus’ remedy for the disciples’ power struggle was not “institutional reform,” but a personal determination to live by the words, “But you are not to be like that.”

 

Change from the bottom up: If those at the top (the leaders) do not change, then the kingdom of God must be embodied from the bottom up (by the members).  Beginning in the small group, home group, or ministry department to which I belong, we must abandon “philoneikia (the desire to win)” and personally live out the kingdom-of-God leadership described in verse 26: “the one who rules [should be] like the one who serves.”  When the sincere service of the church members becomes the true foundation of the church, secularized leaders will be brought to shame.

 

4.  We must never cease offering “tearful prayers” for our leaders (Intercede).

 

The secularization of church leaders is one of Satan’s most powerful strategies for destroying the entire congregation and the church.  In fact, immediately after this passage in Luke 22 (verse 31), Jesus warned, “Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.”

 

The perspective of spiritual warfare: Beyond criticism and condemnation, we must pray with tears that leaders may escape Satan’s temptations—such as the desire for honor and the desire to dominate—and be spiritually restored.  This is the calling of believers who have become watchmen guarding the church.

 

Summary: Guidelines for the Actions of Believers

 

Do not look at: The leader’s impressive power and worldly leadership.

Look to: Jesus Christ, who came as the One who serves.

Do: From wherever you are standing, give up the desire to be served and live a life of serving others first.

 

When each and every believer receives and lives out the words of verse 26, “But you are not to be like that,” the church that has become a political arena will begin to be restored once again as the Lord’s holy temple (Internet).

 

(2)    Third, I would like to receive the lessons that the Lord gives me as I meditate on Jesus’ words: “But you are not to be like that.  Rather, let the greatest among you become like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves” [ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλ' ὁ μείζων ἐν ὑμῖν γινέσθω ὡς ὁ νεώτερος, καὶ ὁ ἡγούμενος ὡς ὁ διακονῶν (hymeis de ouch houtōs, all’ ho meizōn en hymin ginesthō hōs ho neōteros, kai ho hēgoumenos hōs ho diakonōn)] (v. 26).

 

1.   First lesson: A complete break with the world, without compromise [ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐχ οὕτως (hymeis de ouch houtōs) (“But you are not to be like that” / “But you are not like this”)]

 

Meaning of the original text: Here, “ouch houtōs” (οὐχ οὕτως) (“not like that”) is a firm and absolute negation.  Jesus does not offer a compromise by saying, “Although the ways of the world have both strengths and weaknesses, try to adjust and harmonize them.”  Rather, He draws a complete line of separation in values, saying, “Even though the world operates that way, you, however (δὲ), must absolutely and never be like them.”

 

Application to life: When church leaders and believers bring the world’s corporate management methods, political lobbying, and hierarchical culture directly into the church, they are openly violating this solemn command of the Lord.  Christians must have the holy conviction to say, “We are different,” when confronted with the success formulas that the world considers entirely correct.

 

2.   Second lesson: Voluntarily giving up privilege and honor [ἀλλ' ὁ μείζων ἐν ὑμῖν γινέσθω ὡς ὁ νεώτερος (all’ ho meizōn en hymin ginesthō hōs ho neōteros) (“Rather, let the greatest among you become like the youngest”)]

 

Meaning of the original text: In ancient Jewish and Greek society, the “great one” [μείζων (meizōn)] referred to those with established privileges—people who were older and higher in status and therefore received respect and honor.  In contrast, the “younger” [νεώτερος (neōteros)] referred to a subordinate who, because of inexperience and lack of skill, had to take responsibility for the most difficult tasks at the bottom of the community.  Jesus commands those who have become “great” to humble themselves [γινέσθω (ginesthō) (“become/be like”)] as though they were inexperienced young people with no rights of their own.

 

Application to life: The more a person becomes a “great one” in the church by receiving an office and accumulating years of service, the more voluntarily he or she must lay aside the desire to be honored.  Rather than raising one’s voice because one is a founding member or a senior officeholder, one should descend to the position of the “youngest one”—the newcomer who registered at the church for the first time today—and serve others. This is what true greatness looks like in the kingdom of God.

 

3.   Third lesson: Leadership that provides benefit rather than domination [καὶ ὁ ἡγούμενος ὡς ὁ διακονῶν (kai ho hēgoumenos hōs ho diakonōn) (“and the one who rules like the one who serves”)]

 

Meaning of the original text: “Hēgoumenos” (ἡγούμενος) (“the one who rules/leads”) refers to a commander or leader of an army or organization. In contrast, “diakonōn” (διακονῶν) (“the one who serves”) refers to a table servant who washes the guests’ feet and carries food at a meal.  If one has been placed in a leadership position, it means that one must not become a person who commands and lords it over others, but must take on the identity of a servant [διακονῶν (diakonōn)] who works hard to meet the needs of others.

 

Application to life: The kind of rule spoken of in the Bible is not domination but service.  A true church leader is not someone who subdues people through his or her influence, but someone who spends himself or herself first in order to give life and benefit to the souls of the believers.  A position of office is not a rank; it is merely a “tool” given for the purpose of serving.

 

Meditative conclusion: “A transformation of being”

 

In these words, Jesus is not simply telling us to be careful about our behavior.  Rather, by saying “become like” (γινέσθω, ginesthō), He demands a transformation of our very being. If we hold the “philoneikía” (the desire to win) of verse 24 in our hearts, we can never live the life described in verse 26.

 

To those of us who grieve over the leaders of the church who have become secularized, the Lord asks a weighty question through these words today: “Are you different from those secularized leaders? Where you are, are you becoming like the youngest and acting like a diakonōn (servant)?”

 

(a)   Here I was reminded of Philippians 2:7: “Rather, He emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of human beings” [ἀλλὰ ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσεν μορφὴν δούλου λαβών, ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γενόμενος (alla heauton ekenōsen morphēn doulou labōn, en homoiōmati anthrōpōn genomenos)].  What lessons should we learn from this passage?

        (i)    The principle of kingdom leadership that Jesus commanded in Luke is perfectly demonstrated in Philippians through the concrete actions Jesus Himself actually carried out—His incarnation and humiliation.  Through the Greek expressions in the original text of Philippians 2:7, I would like to share three essential lessons that believers and church leaders today must engrave deeply into their hearts and bones (Internet):

 

a.  “Emptying oneself” is the starting point of service [ἀλλὰ ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσεν (alla heauton ekenōsen) (“Rather, He emptied Himself”)]

 

Meaning of the original text: The verb “ekenōsen” (ἐκένωσεν) (“emptied”) comes from “kenoō” (κενόω), which means “to empty a vessel completely” or “to pour it all out.”  Theologically, this is called “Kenosis.” Jesus possessed equal rights, glory, and privileges with God, yet for our sake He voluntarily “poured them out completely, leaving nothing behind.”

 

Lesson: We can never serve others while the vessel of our hearts is filled with our own opinions, privileges, desire for honor, and pride.  The disciples’ dispute (philoneikía) that Luke points out occurred because they could not empty themselves and instead tried to “fill themselves.”  True leadership does not begin by proving and filling myself; it begins by voluntarily emptying myself of my rights.

 

b.  We must have the identity of “complete humility” [μορφὴν δούλου λαβών (morphēn doulou labōn) (“taking the form of a servant”)]

 

Meaning of the original text: Here, “form” does not mean a false outward appearance that merely imitates something externally, but refers to the “essence” of one’s being.  And “doulou” (δούλου) (“servant/slave”), from “doulos” (δοῦλος), refers to a “slave” who at that time had no legal rights whatsoever and had to submit solely to the will of the master.  In other words, Jesus did not pretend to be a servant as a kind of performance or costume.  Although He was the Creator of the universe, He truly humbled Himself to the status and essence of a slave.

Lesson: While the “diakonōn” (table servant) of Luke 22:26 emphasizes active service, the “doulos” (slave/servant) of Philippians refers to the lowering of one’s status and being.  Today, many church leaders are good at staging the appearance of “serving,” but they refuse to become genuine “servants.”  The Lord asks us to lay down authoritarianism and truly possess the essence of a servant.

 

c.   We need the incarnation that meets those we serve at their level [ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γενόμενος (en homoiōmati anthrōpōn genomenos) (“being made in the likeness of human beings”)]

 

Meaning of the original text: This means that the Most High God Himself entered into the limitations of human creatures—hunger, fatigue, and suffering—and stood in exactly the same place as human beings (the Incarnation).

 

Lesson: Service is not pity that descends from a high place to a low place as though bestowing charity. True service means going down to where the other person is and meeting them at their level.  As long as church leaders lord it over believers or sit far away in elevated places of honor, incarnational leadership is impossible.  The Lord’s way is to descend to where suffering believers are, to the place of the lowest and most marginalized, and become like them.

 

Meditative conclusion: The complete convergence of Luke 22 and Philippians 2

 

When these two passages are connected, the Lord’s heart for the church becomes visible at a glance.

 

The disciples fought to exalt themselves (philoneikía), but Jesus instead completely poured Himself out and emptied Himself (Kenosis).

 

Worldly leaders seek to rule through power, but Jesus went beyond being a table servant (diakonōn) and took on the very essence of a slave (doulos).

 

The only vaccine that can heal the chaotic power struggles in today’s Korean church is precisely “the emptying and humbling of Jesus Christ.”  If a leader does not empty himself, then I believe that I, as a believer, must begin by emptying myself of the pride and privileges within me and becoming like the Lord’s “form of a servant” (Internet).

 

(3)    Fourth and last, as I meditate on Jesus’ words, “For which is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves?  Is it not the one who reclines at the table?  But I am among you as the one who serves” [τίς γὰρ μείζων, ὁ ἀνακείμενος ἢ ὁ διακονῶν; οὐχὶ ὁ ἀνακείμενος; ἐγὼ δὲ ἐν μέσῳ ὑμῶν εἰμι ὡς ὁ διακονῶν (tis gar meizōn, ho anakeimenos ē ho diakonōn? ouchi ho anakeimenos? egō de en mesō hymōn eimi hōs ho diakonōn)] (Lk. 21:27), I would like to receive the lessons that He gives us.

 

1.   The world’s assumed standard [ἀνακείμενος (anakeimenos) (“the one who reclines at the table”)]

 

Meaning of the word: “Anakeimenos” (ὁ ἀνακείμενος) refers to the host or person of honor who reclines comfortably at a banquet table and is served food.

 

Lesson: The world considers it natural that a high-ranking or “great” person should sit at the table and be served. The disciples were also seeking precisely this position in the world.

 

2.   Jesus’ astonishing reversal [ἐγὼ δὲ (egō de) (“But I”)]

 

Meaning of the words: “Egō de” (ἐγὼ δὲ) means “But I.”

 

Lesson: Jesus, the King of the universe, did not recline at the table and receive service.  Instead, in the very midst of His disciples, He stood as a servant [διακονῶν (diakonōn)] attending to them at the table.

 

3.   The lesson He gives us

 

An example in action, not merely in words: Jesus did not simply give commands from a position of high authority.  He Himself came down to the lowest position and demonstrated service through His own body and actions.

 

Restoring the essence of the church: The truly great person is not the one who holds power.  The truly great person in the kingdom of God is the one who, like Jesus, humbles himself and serves the church and his neighbor (Internet).