Have you ever noticed how even the people closest to Jesus still argued about who was greatest? It’s almost comforting—and convicting—to see ambition show up at the same table where grace is being poured out. That tension between our hunger for honor and Jesus’ upside-down kingdom is exactly why Luke 22:24–30 matters for us: it exposes our default impulse and points us back to a different way of living.
In Luke 22:24–30 we find the disciples bickering over who will be greatest. Jesus doesn't rebuke them with abstract theology; he points to how the world wields power—kings exercise authority—and then contrasts it with his way: among you the greatest should be like the youngest, the leader like the one who serves. He even identifies himself as “one who serves” and promises them a place in his kingdom because they have stayed with him through trials. This scene is part of Luke’s Last Supper narrative; Luke’s telling here is especially direct about service and the promise of future reward. (Related conversations about greatness appear earlier in the Gospels—e.g., Luke 9:46–48 and parallels in Mark/Matthew—and John emphasizes the same truth by Jesus’ washing the disciples’ feet.)
This passage pulls back the curtain on both Jesus and us. Jesus is unmistakably Lord and yet models servanthood—his leadership is defined by humility, not dominance. The Kingdom he inaugurates reverses human priorities: true honor flows through giving yourself away, not grabbing more. The weight of the moment is intense—this teaching comes on the brink of his suffering—so Jesus isn’t offering pious advice; he’s declaring the character of the Kingdom that his death and resurrection will establish. For us, the challenge is real: our impulses toward status are subtle and persistent. But the grace is just as real—Jesus doesn’t abandon struggling followers; he calls them into a future with him and reshapes their hearts.
Today, practice one small, specific act of “greatness through service.” At home or work, let someone else take the lead or the credit on a task you care about. Wash the dishes, hold your tongue in a meeting, or offer sincere, unnoticed help. Before doing it, pray a short, honest prayer: “Jesus, make me small enough to serve and big enough in you.” Notice how humility begins to rewire your desires and opens you into the hope Jesus promises.
In Luke 22:24–30 we find the disciples bickering over who will be greatest. Jesus doesn't rebuke them with abstract theology; he points to how the world wields power—kings exercise authority—and then contrasts it with his way: among you the greatest should be like the youngest, the leader like the one who serves. He even identifies himself as “one who serves” and promises them a place in his kingdom because they have stayed with him through trials. This scene is part of Luke’s Last Supper narrative; Luke’s telling here is especially direct about service and the promise of future reward. (Related conversations about greatness appear earlier in the Gospels—e.g., Luke 9:46–48 and parallels in Mark/Matthew—and John emphasizes the same truth by Jesus’ washing the disciples’ feet.)
This passage pulls back the curtain on both Jesus and us. Jesus is unmistakably Lord and yet models servanthood—his leadership is defined by humility, not dominance. The Kingdom he inaugurates reverses human priorities: true honor flows through giving yourself away, not grabbing more. The weight of the moment is intense—this teaching comes on the brink of his suffering—so Jesus isn’t offering pious advice; he’s declaring the character of the Kingdom that his death and resurrection will establish. For us, the challenge is real: our impulses toward status are subtle and persistent. But the grace is just as real—Jesus doesn’t abandon struggling followers; he calls them into a future with him and reshapes their hearts.
Today, practice one small, specific act of “greatness through service.” At home or work, let someone else take the lead or the credit on a task you care about. Wash the dishes, hold your tongue in a meeting, or offer sincere, unnoticed help. Before doing it, pray a short, honest prayer: “Jesus, make me small enough to serve and big enough in you.” Notice how humility begins to rewire your desires and opens you into the hope Jesus promises.
Luke: 22:24-30
When the disciples argue about who is greatest, Jesus teaches that true leadership is humble service — the greatest must be like the youngest and the leader like a servant, not like worldly rulers who lord it over others. He says he is among them as one who serves and promises they will eat and drink at his table in his kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Open Verse