Luke 22:24-32 Even on the night Jesus was betrayed, the disciples didn’t understand the dynamics of what was happening - which led to useless arguments. Their misunderstandings did not perturb Jesus because he placed his confidence in the ability of Father to work all things for good.
How do we get things so wrong? Misunderstandings lead to arguments, questioning our own motives and the motives of others. In our frustrations we want to quit and don’t see any answers to the situations we face. In deed in our instant society, qualities like Persistence and endurance to push on through with our convictions seem to quickly evaporate in favor of the route of least resistance. Much has changed it seems: early Christians managed to find a way through much more difficult situations than we face. There is a difference in centuries of American culture: We went from being a “culture of character” in the 19th . century to becoming a “culture of personality” in the 20th. Even in the church, the preachers who promise the most with the least investment on our part seem to be the most popular. Life qualities like repentance, holiness, sacrifice, submission, honor, are replaced with: I deserve respect, My opinions are at least as valid as yours, who are you to tell me what to do, what to believe, how to act? What is important is what I want, what I need, what I think. And then comes an event so transcending that we are faced with the folly of our own decisions, our own folly. Such is the case here in Luke 22:
How do you move from wondering who is going to betray Jesus to who is the greatest?
Look at the context these disciples are living in and the key moment they have with Jesus. Think about their reactions based on the teachings and the life example that Jesus brings to that moment in time:
See it in the context of Moses, or David at the end of their lives and their final instructions.
See how Jesus repeats himself from other teachings he has taught them.
Focus on the end, “you still don’t get it”
He is not concerned that the teaching didn’t sink in when he taught it. He knows a secret, he knows that there is a time coming when the Holy Spirit will be their teacher. He is keenly aware that knowledge and wisdom are part of our growing in our experiences with God. It is not like just filling our brain with facts, but living life in relationship with a loving God. Our faith and out trust in God grow through our mutual experiences, which result in the changing of our hearts and minds. This is much more than just inputting data into our cerebral computers!
So what does he give them? Keys for living in a difficult and complex world full of pain, disappointments, dissensions, arguments, and confusion. Here are the key lessons:
The greatest is the persevering servant – Don Richardson
The trials (restored) of a Christian – the response that Jesus has: he does not criticize Peter, but is compassionate, and coming through results in effective service:
Non excessive provision for ministry.