06/15/2026
When we look at Jesus we see a humble man, and yet at the Last Supper His disciples argued over which of them would be considered the best, or the greatest. This is an oxymoron... how can they want to be the greatest follower of a man of absolute humility? Do they desire to be the first and foremost of the least? It is human nature to want to be the best at what we do... even if it is being humble. Is humility something you struggle with? Is placing your pride and conceit under subjugation impossible? Then let’s turn again to Jesus for help.
“For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.”
Luke 22:27 ESV
By these words, Jesus is telling us three interesting things about Himself. First of all, He is revealing that He understands very well what it means to be the greatest, then He tells us that He has chosen to assume the role of servant, and finally, and most interestingly, He reveals to us that He does not recline at the table with them... He is actively serving.
There is a famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci titled “The Last Supper” that depicts Jesus at the center of a long rectangular table surrounded on either side by His disciples. This is only a modern man’s depiction of this event, and not a very realistic one at that. You see, people during the era of Jesus reclined to dine, and did not sit at a square table such as this.
“And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me."”
Mark 14:17-18 ESV
So, if this detail was misrepresented in the painting we all envision when we think of the last supper, then what about the location of Jesus? Well in Christ’s time, the table would have been u-shaped and the guest of honor would have been at the far left... which leads us to wonder whether, in reality, Jesus was reclining at the table with them at all... after all, doesn’t He say that He is serving them? As a servant He would not have been at the table. He would have been moving about on the inside of the u-shaped table as He served them.
Jesus was making a point regarding servitude at the last supper, just as he did by settling the argument regarding who the greatest among them was by changing the meaning of greatest via an oxymoron, as He recast the greatest as being the most subservient, and then washed the feet of His disciples.
Jesus wasn’t at the Last Supper to assume His position as the greatest among them, or to reaffirm His position as their master, but to firmly establish the idea of servitude. When we listen to Him interacting with His disciples, we sometimes wonder if they understood Him at all. They certainly had missed the importance of the idea of serving one another. So, do we miss that idea too?
When we compare ourselves to others of faith do we take pride when we should be humbling ourselves? Do we seek to be the greatest when we should be the least? Are we looking to be served when we should be serving? These are just a few of the characteristics Jesus exhibits that for us as humans, are so unnatural; so it shouldn’t be surprising that we have trouble with them. When Jesus speaks of serving, we immediately want to be the best servant. When Jesus says “the least shall be first” we want to be the most outstanding of the least.
Our ability to overcome this in ourselves is limited, but there is hope, and we hear it in the words of Paul to the Romans when he says...
“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.”
Romans 12:16 ESV
So how do we achieve this in ourselves? We do so through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the provision of God and Jesus Christ. What we lack they provide, and what we don’t understand the Spirit reveals. In this way our nature becomes more perfectly like the Lord’s... our ability to serve him and others becomes natural.
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”
2 Peter 1:3-4 ESV
Are we truly humble? Do we wash the feet of others, and long to serve in the house of the Lord? Or do we envision ourselves seated closest to Jesus? Are we taking Pride in our humility? Do we desire to be the Greatest of the Least? Let’s pray for help today as we seek to humble ourselves.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the servant that your Son Jesus is. Thank you for His humble nature that led Him to the cross so that we might be redeemed, and forgiven. Help me overcome my arrogance as I seek to become humble in all my ways. Let your Holy Spirit open my eyes, and provide me with the strength I need, so that your desire will be realized in me. Make me humble as Jesus was humble, and meek as He was meek. Give me strength and resolve in my service of others. Merciful Father, walk me through the release of my pride, and show me how to lay it down as I serve others. It would be easy to be humble if I had nothing, but Jesus had the world in His hand and still he catered to its most lowly without a glimmer of boastful pride or arrogance. His passion for us exceeded His love for Himself, and by this He was able to set aside His grandeur to serve us from the cross. Praised be His name Father, and Holy, Holy, Holy, are you who makes the lowly great, and kings to become servants. Help me to please you in humility and allow me to wash the feet of those who seek you, and to be a servant to all those at your table.
“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."”
Luke 14:11 ESV
Amen.
Rich Forbes