Matthew 20:27

27 and if one of you wants to be first, you must be the slave of the others

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.''

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Matthew 20:27 In-Context

25 So Jesus called them all together and said, "You know that the rulers of the heathen have power over them, and the leaders have complete authority.

26 This, however, is not the way it shall be among you. If one of you wants to be great, you must be the servant of the rest;

27 and if one of you wants to be first, you must be the slave of the others

28 like the Son of Man, who did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life to redeem many people."

29 As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd was following.