Matthew 20:27

27 Whoever wants to be first among you will be your slave—

Matthew 20:27 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 20:27

And whosoever will be chief among you
Or first, or have the pre-eminence, the first place in the kingdom of the Messiah,

let him be your servant;
or, as in Mark, shall be servant of
all:
not only a minister, but a servant; not a servant of some only, but of all. This was verified in the Apostle Paul, who became a servant to all men, though he was free, that he might gain some to Christ; and by so doing was the chief, though he reckoned himself the least of the apostles, yea, less than the least of all saints. The Jews have a saying somewhat like this, that F8

``everyone that makes himself (dbek) , as a servant, for the words of the law in this world, shall be made free in the world to come.''


FOOTNOTES:

F8 T. Bab. Bava Metzia, fol. 35. 2.

Matthew 20:27 In-Context

25 But Jesus called them over and said, "You know that those who rule the Gentiles show off their authority over them and their high-ranking officials order them around.
26 But that's not the way it will be with you. Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant.
27 Whoever wants to be first among you will be your slave—
28 just as the Human One didn't come to be served but rather to serve and to give his life to liberate many people."
29 As Jesus and his disciples were going out of Jericho a large crowd followed him.
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