I worked with a woman several years ago who proclaimed that she could do anyone’s job better than he or she. She even said that of her boss. She said she was more proficient, more organized, more qualified, etc.
She made people feel very insecure because she was always going to her superior to tell him what was wrong with everyone else’s work. Unfortunately, her superior listened to a lot of what she said and based a lot of his decisions for the office on her recommendations.
Needless to say, she was not very popular in our office. She was very skilled, but she wasn’t a team player. She considered herself more important than anyone else.
We read about a number of people in scripture that elevated themselves. There was Pharaoh who would not listen to Moses and Aaron. There was King Saul who saved the Amalekite king in order to elevate himself with the Israelites and other enemies of the Jews. There was King Nebuchadnezzar who claimed to be great in his conquests. Of course, there was King Herod who gave a speech and took the praise of the people. All of these had disastrous endings.
In John 1, we have the story of the beginning ministry of John the Baptizer. John was the son of Zacharias, a priest, and Elizabeth, cousin of Mary, and mother of Jesus.
When John began his ministry, the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to inquire who he was. He told them; but he said, “I am not the Christ” (John 1:20 ESV). He made it clear that he was not the expected Messiah.
Because of his appearance and his demeanor, the Jews thought he might be Elijah returning from heaven (John 1L21). When they confronted him with this, he denied it.
If you continue reading, you will find that John proclaimed his purpose. He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said” (verse 23),
The Jews continued to question John, and they wanted to know why he was baptizing if he wasn’t the Christ or Elijah or a prophet. This was John’s answer, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie” (verses 25-27).
The next day he saw Jesus coming to him; and he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me’” (verses 29-30).
From before John’s birth, he had a purpose. His purpose was to prepare the way of the Lord. He did prepare the people for Jesus, and he accepted no praise or honor for what he did. In fact, he lost his life because of standing for the truth.
When the disciples argued about who would be the greatest in Christ’s kingdom, Jesus gave them an answer they were not expecting. He said, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35).
This evidently didn’t get through to them, because they brought it up again. James and John, two of Jesus’ disciples, boldly asked Jesus to do for them something they desired. They wanted to sit on the right and left of Him in His kingdom.
This was Jesus’ answer, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” (Mark 10:38).
They attested that they could. They set themselves above all the other disciples. They elevated themselves. Jesus had to make it clear that their request could only be authorized by the Father. Then He made this statement, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
If we want to be like Christ, we must have the heart of a servant. Thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought can only lead to destruction.
Listen to the words of Paul, the apostle. “For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:3, 4, 9).
Sandra Oliver