Luke 22:25 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Luke 22:25

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He uses a fascinating picture to show how different the kingdom of heaven is to all earthly kingdoms. Earthly rulers take pains to protect their honour and their dignity. They would say that they are protecting the honour of their office, though there is always much personal honour mixed up with this. For this reason they will practice nothing that risks doing harm to their office. Because of the way they think about themselves and their office, and the way their citizens think about it, they cannot do anything that is unseemly for a ruler, and because of their understanding of what has is to be admired, they believe that they cannot become servants to their subjects. It would damage their image to serve others, because to serve is to take a lowly position which is not fitting for one who is supposed to be great in the land. An earthly ruler is constantly trying to boost his image in front of the people. He is acutely aware of how other people view him, and his measurement of himself is made through the eyes of the people. It would damage his reputation to take too lowly a position, and he knows the people would not expect him to do it. He cannot let go of something that he thinks is essential to his dignity. What do the people think of this? ‘They that exercise authority are called benefactors.’ There is a social contract which the people are willing to accept, which means that they tolerate authority over them, even though their authority be somewhat heavy handed. They are ready to do this in exchange for the benefits of being governed – economic stability, law and order, defence of the realm, honour to the nation – because they believe that there is no other way they can be governed. In a world of rebellious and unwilling subjects, that may well be true. Force is often required to govern the unruly, and the kings of this world cannot always be gently with their people. Although the majority may want to be ruled in this way, there are others that reject authority over them, so there must be punishment of evildoers and the level of compulsion in government.But the kingdom of heaven operates on an entirely different principle, and Christ has come unashamedly as one who serves. Why does he not behave like earthly rulers? Why is he not concerned about damage to his dignity by doing what seems to belittle him? Because what he glories in is not what earthly rulers glory in. He says, ‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light’ (Matthew 11:29-30). Unlike any earthly kingdom, in the kingdom of heaven there is love and affection between the king and every subject. He does not rule from a dizzy height, never having personal contact with his subjects, but he knows each one, and values each one as a beloved child. They love him as their Lord and Saviour, and are ready to obey him from their hearts. It is consistent with this quite different form of rule that the king is not anxious about guarding his dignity. He does not need to preserve his image as a remote and highly exalted one, for his people know how great he is. What happens when he serves them? What happens when Christ washes his disciples feet? What happens is that they immediately sense their unworthiness, and feel inclined to protest with Peter. It does not, in the least, damage to his reputation in their eyes that he serves them. They are not tempted to overthrow their high regard for him, and cease to worship of him by any such action. Rather, they are amazed at another side of him that they would not otherwise have known. They admire his meekness and humility. They see that his honour is not something fragile that it could be lost by taking this unexpected role. He knows his own glory, and his readiness to serve doe no harm to it.

Application

But what the Master is, the follower should be also. Therefore it is very inappropriate for the disciples to be arguing among themselves about who is the greatest. They are thinking like carnal men, and they have forgotten that the kingdom they now belong to is completely different in nature. That way of thinking is triggered by pride, and it cannot work in the presence of the Lord. They cannot bring their old attitudes with them into the kingdom of heaven. We need to leave behind those attitudes as things which are inferior, even sinful, and which do not belong as part of the new life. We should instead admire the far superior way in which heaven operates. Just as our Lord loses nothing by taking the role of a servant, neither do we. Greatness consists in other things besides those which carnal men admire, for God counts greatness to be found in gentleness, kindness, love, self-sacrifice. Who are we going to be examined by on the Day of Judgment? Not by the great ones of this world, but by the One who laid down his life for his people.

There are a number of factors which people on earth treat as markers of dignity. One of them is greater age, and indeed the Scripture says, ‘The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness’ (Proverbs 16:31), and Peter says, ‘Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder’ (1 Peter 5:5). But the Ancient of Days has come down to serve his people, and how then can those with a few extra earthly years decline to serve the younger? Similarly, he that is chief on earth should be happy to become a servant to lesser ones. This does not mean that earthly institutions are to be overthrown, and there should be no order in society – the words of Peter quoted above show that that is not the case – but it means that we cannot so rigidly cling onto the advantages that earthly pre-eminence gives us, that we cannot risk taking another role to help others.

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Luke 22:25 Commentary and Bible Study

Explain meaning of Luke 22:25