12TH MAY 2022
ACTS 13:13-25
PSALM 89:2-3.21-22.25.27
JOHN 13:16-20
A DIFFERENT KIND OF GREATNESS
In Today’s Gospel Reading Jesus says to His disciples after washing their feet,” Truly, truly, I say you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.”
How would you define greatness or put it in another way; what would it require to achieve true greatness in the world? With what do you connect greatness? Is it by having a higher academic qualification? Is it by climbing the ladder of professionalism?
Is it by attaining much wealth? Is it by ensuring that everything goes on well in your areas of responsibility? As we think of these questions, we can also ask ourselves: Where does greatness come from?
Greatness comes from the heart, mind and soul. It isn’t about might. Of course, greatness does not imply flawlessness. Many of the greatest people who ever lived were deeply imperfect and vulnerable.
The words that Jesus says in today’s Gospel Reading give us another perspective regarding greatness. Jesus says clearly that a servant is not greater than his master yet he as the master has already washed the feet of His disciples.
If protocol was to be followed, it is His disciples who would have washed His feet; He even washed the feet of Judas knowing that he will betray Him. Is this not a different kind of greatness?
Normally we expect good things to come in good ways. Gifts are normally put in nice beautiful wrappers; but what if you get a gift in a dirty torn ugly wrapper-will you reject it?
Let us remember that Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, a sign of love, service and compassion and He did it by tying a towel around His waist and by touching their dirty feet. Is this not greatness put in wrapper that we may not like?
God’s gift of love to us through Jesus was/is wrapped in suffering, weakness, humiliation and humble parish. Can it be rejected in its greatness yet the God Jesus comes to reveal shows up exactly where we would least expect in order to redeem us.
Can we see God’s greatness in places and situations we least expect?
In a world that craves for greatness in the normal and conventional ways, we get an opportunity today to think of greatness being expressed in ways that may appear unpalatable to us.
In regards to greatness, Jesus adds,” If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” What things are Jesus mentioning? Jesus is mentioning the things that lead to greatness and how they lead.
Jesus is insisting on following the way to greatness so as to be blessed and as we know blessing biblically means happiness and contentment that comes from knowing that you are striving to live in the realm of God’s love and greatness in the different ways it comes.
What if today our blessing and greatness will come through releasing not grabbing, through giving not hoarding, through serving and not being on top?
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