Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” —Mark 9:35.
Did you hear that? Last! Last? Nobody likes to be last. When it comes to lines, we all hate to be last! Many of us have a hard time settling for second place, much less last place. Jesus, however, reverses the way the world ranks people (Luke 22:25-27). The person who is most important to him is not the person seeking status, Facebook® likes, a big following on social media, notoriety, or a place of honor at “bigwig” gatherings (events centered on status and influence). The most important person is like Jesus himself: they are willing to give up their rank, status, and place importance to serve the least, last, and lost. Why? Because that’s how Jesus was. For Jesus, being last meant being first in service and first in the eyes of God.