Who is the Greatest

           All of us always want to know, “Who is the greatest.”  I think it is safe to say that we not only want to know “Who is the greatest,” but actually “Wanting to become the greatest,” is woven deep in our human nature.

          Think of how we want to know, “Who was the greatest president of all time?”  The answer for the most part falls between two individuals, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.  We also want to know who is the greatest most successful business man or woman, again usually coming down to people like Bill Gates, the recently deceased Steve Jobs and now Mark Zuckerberg.  I remember arguing with a good friend who was a huge Beatles fan that the Rolling Stones were better than the Beatles.  I also remember arguing over sports teams and athletes.  We all wanted to know who was the best, was Joe Monatana the best quarter back ever or was it Johnny Unitas, or even now, Tom Brady.  That’s why we have championships, grade point averages, beauty contests for Miss America, and on and on.

          It is not only knowing or arguing who may be the best, but the desire in each one of us to be the greatest.  How many times have we laid in bed dreaming that I can be the next Steve Jobs, or Joe Montana or Miss America?  Dreams are good so long as they motivate and not just remain dreams.  I think the question the Apostles ask among themselves is a good one, “Which one of us is the greatest?”  Even St. Paul says, “out do one another in holiness.”  C.f. Rom 12:9. 

          God has given us this drive to be the best that we can, to become the greatest, but He gave us this drive not for self satisfaction but for the betterment of society – for service.

          Society since the time of the Apostles has not changed because man is still weak at times and will look to serve himself.  How can I get the beautiful house, with the beautiful fence, with the large automobile, with the beautiful wife?  I believe we just had a Talking Heads moment!  Anyway, we fall into this trap of “what about me.”  I therefore look to make myself happy, with things, with people, and the way to get more of them is to be successful – to be great.  Jesus warns against this.  He does not warn them “not to be great” but to be humble and to serve.  "If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all." 

          When we think of greatness why do we always fall back to, Miss America, one of the Presidents, or a Football Quarterback.  Should we rather not fall back to people like Mother Teresa or John Paul II.  These folks were greatness personified, because of their selfless acts of genuine kindness and work for others.  Not that Miss America, or the Presidents, or the QB are not good people, they may be more holy than us, but we shift greatness only to visible success and popularity, sometimes to the amount of things we have.  Mother Teresa had nothing and yet she had absolutely everything.  John Paul II may have lived in a palace, but in his mind he was always working in a field, God’s field.

          The twelve apostles truly became great, well renowned even, and still so 2,000 years later.  Somehow I doubt that many of those we deem great now will be remembered that long.  So why the apostles, why has their greatness come down through the generations?  Because they were just like you and me, they were ordinary hard working folks, but what sets them apart is that they served others all the time, even those that hated them and they served them with the greatest gift of all, their very blood – their very life, and no one forgets that greatness!  Let it be a greatness that we also strive for!

FJ