Notes on the Aug. 15 sermon on Luke 9:46-50, the 41st in our series: Jesus’ disciples saw Jesus’ greatness and it inspired in them a longing for greatness. Jesus did not rebuke them, but told them how they could be great. Rather than receiving worldly, godless greatness (that is, narcissism), or rejecting greatness altogether (in the false name of humility), Jesus shows them how to redeem greatness. True greatness means having a godly, redeemed ambition to live for the glory of God and the good of others by the grace of God. Then you can rejoice in others’ greatness wherever the kingdom of God is advancing.

There could be this overreaction where there’s not just the rejection of worldly greatness, but of greatness altogether, and it oftentimes, in Christian circles, is in the false name of humility. "I don’t want to pursue greatness, I just want to be humble." And it’s this spiritual answer for the cowards, and the lazy, and the unmotivated to appear holy while being unholy. See, some of you say, "Well, I don’t want to make much money. I don’t want to, you know, get great grades. I don’t want to push myself academically. You know, I don’t want to lead my company because, you know, I’m just trying to be humble." Really? Is that true? I meet a lot of young people that talk a lot about the needy, and the poor, and the hurting, and the suffering, therefore, "I’m not going to be very ambitious. I’m not going to pursue greatness." Well, why don’t you try and do something, like making money and giving it away or innovating solutions so that people can live a better life? It’s very important that we learn to rightly perceive ambition.

Next week: Luke 9:51-60, Jesus Refuses to be Used