Jesus and His disciples went to his home in Capernaum. After they were inside the house, Jesus asked them, "What were you arguing about along the way?' They had been arguing about which one of them was the greatest, and so they did not answer.  Mark 9:33-34 NIV

Who is the greatest?

The disciples were arguing with each other about which of them was the best disciple. I'm not sure what criteria they were using, but they were evidently embarrassed because they wouldn't answer Jesus when He asked what they were discussing.

Jesus used this as a teaching opportunity to teach the disciples that the greatest people are the ones who serve others.

We spend a lot of time wanting to be great. Oh, we may not think we do, but consider the things we spend time on.

Our home.

Our looks.

Our image.

The way we present ourselves and our families to the world through social media.

How we work so hard to be part of in-crowds, on winning teams, to have kids rise to the top in sports or academics, etc.

Pride is a BIG part of our world. It's something I notice quite a bit on social media. The arrogance that pervades is sometimes amazing. But lest I get too proud of myself, I know that my internal pride is pretty high too. I sometimes compare myself to others to feel more favorable about myself.

Jesus gently taught the disciples to reframe their thinking and be less self-conscious and more other-conscious.

How are you serving others today?