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Strengthen Your Brothers

Wayne Galloway
07/26/20 - Sunday Morning Worship

Strengthen Your Brothers

Lk. 22:24-32

cf. Matt. 20:24-28; Mk. 10:41-45

 

Introduction:

 

1.  I remember my mother sifting flour when I was a child.  For those who don’t know what sifting is it involves forcing the ground wheat through a fine screen in order to aerate it. 

2.  When Jesus says Satan has asked permission to sift Peter it means that his faith is going to be put to the test.

3.  Peter will deny the Lord three times before morning.  You may think Peter’s faith failed, but Peter would turn from his denials and would then strengthen His brothers.

4.  This tells me that my faith may not always act perfectly, and yet if it is persistent it can be valuable in strengthening others.

5.  Indeed all of these disciples would become effective in strengthening others.  But they had a lot to learn before they were going to be able to do that.  Indeed their whole perspective had to change.

6.  They had been arguing over which one of them was the greatest.  If they were going to strengthen others their attention would have to shift away from concern for themselves and they would have to turn to serve others.

 

Discussion:

 

I.  The context of this passage is interesting.

 

    A.  Jesus has gone up to Jerusalem for the final days of His life on earth.

    B.  There He would sacrifice Himself on a cross in fulfillment of God’s plan to forgive

          sins.

    C.  What He was about to do encapsulated the very nature of His Father who would give

         Himself up in payment for the sins of His enemies.

    D.  Jesus had instituted the Lord’s Supper with these words:  “This is My body which is

          given for you.  This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My

          blood” (Lk. 22:19-20).

    E.  In this deeply serious situation Jesus arose from the table and began to wash the

         disciples’ feet.  He called on them to wash one another’s feet (Jn. 13:1ff).

    F.  It was in this context that the disciples began to dispute, which one of them was

         regarded to be greatest.

 

II.  Jesus’ response to them took under consideration the approach to greatness used by the world (24-25).

 

      A.  “The kings of the Gentiles” represent the view of the world.

            1. They lord it over one another.

            2.  In the world the leader gets all the perks and receives services.

           3.  He/she wields power and authority with a recognition that rank allows

                one to exercise authority with one’s own interests in mind.

      B.  They are called “Benefactors.” 

           1.  This is a word that identifies those to whom people are beholding.  It represents

                the people you owe.

           2.  Patronage was a distinctive hierarchical relationship in Roman society.  The

                patron was the protector, sponsor and benefactor of the client.  The client was

                typically of an inferior social class.  The patron held greater wealth, power and

                prestige that allowed him to help or do favors for the client.  This is where we get

                the word “patronizing” which carries the idea of being kind or helpful but feeling

                a sense of superiority over another.

       C.  So in the world’s eyes greatness is measured by your rank over someone else.

             1.  So it involves comparing yourself with someone else.

             2.  Thus the dispute among the disciples.

             3.  Peter, James and John are identified in Mark 3:17 as the sons of thunder.

                  They would be separated from the other disciples as Jesus prayed in the

                  Garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26:37).  Apparently on another occasion the

                  mother of James and John had asked that her sons sit one on the right and one

                  on the left of Jesus in the kingdom (Matt. 20:20ff).  Is this a dispute that is

                  common among them?

        D.  But all this comparing and sizing up runs counter to the nature of God and the

             nature of His kingdom.  “That which is highly esteemed among men is detestable

             in the sight of God” (Lk. 16:15).  The thinking of the world is upside down.

        E.  But isn’t this the way we tend to think?  The greatest is the one with the most

             power, the most money, the most control, the best position.

 

III.  The path of the Kingdom of God is in direct opposition to that of the world (26-27).

 

     A.  Jesus says, “The one who is the greatest among you must become like the

           youngest.”

           1.  That Jesus references the youngest is reflective of the place of the youngest in

                ancient society.

           2.  Children had no rank (Matt. 18:3-6). 

                a.  Note that the disciples are again questioning, “Who is greatest in the

                     kingdom?”

                b.  Jesus called on them to be converted and become like children.

                c.  Humble yourself to the rank of this child.  This is the one who is greatest in the

                     kingdom.

                d.  But the world’s view is advantage over the weak and vulnerable (cf. James

                     1:27).

      B.  Real leadership does not concern itself with status or rank, but with service.

            1.  Service is the nature of the kingdom.

            2.  The disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus asking, “Are you the Expected

                 One, or should we look for another?” (Lk. 7:20).  Jesus said, “Go and report, the

                 blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the

                 dead are raised and the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Lk. 7:22; cf.

                 Lk. 4:18; Matt. 11:5; Isa. 35:5; 61:1).

            3.  In Matt. 20 Jesus asks, “Are you able to drink the cup I am about to drink?”  His

                 service involves the cross.

            4.  Here in Lk. 22:28ff Jesus reminds them of the trials associated with the kingdom.

                 Simon in particular is going to be “sifted like wheat.”

            5.  Greatness is achieved through self-sacrificial service.  It comes painfully.

            6.  Jesus is among them as one who serves (Lk. 22:27).

 

IV.  The way is hard but productive.

 

      A.  There are trials, both personal and shared (Lk. 22:28).  Cf. Heb. 10:32ff.

      B.  There are good results (Lk. 22:29-30; Matt. 19:27-30; Heb. 11:24-26) but it is still not

            about ranking over.  Nor is it about enduring trials so that we can rank over.  It is

            about service because serving others is the right thing to do!

      C.  Is Peter involved in the dispute over greatness?  Is this why the Lord allowed Satan

            to sift him as wheat, that he might come to the humility of service?  Is this why

            Jesus is telling him, “once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers?”

       D.  Do we all have to be “sifted like wheat” to understand that our mission needs to be

             to strengthen our brothers?

       E.  Do we have to go through such a trial, then be recovered, in order to make a

            contribution to the kingdom?

 

Conclusion:

 

1.  To be honest I hope I don’t have to be sifted like wheat in order to learn the humility necessary to serve.  I don’t want to hear any roosters crowing after I have denied the Lord!

2.  I hope you don’t have to endure such a “sifting” before you devote yourself to strengthening others. 

3.  Let’s not think like the world thinks.  Let’s not worry about rank and greatness and stop comparing ourselves with others.

4.  Let’s follow the Lord and serve!!