It’s quite a question isn’t it?
Who is great? How do you know? Is it their wealth? Is it their position and title?
These thoughts have been occupying my mind of late.
It must be more than how the world measures it surely?
And what of those who didn’t have wealth? Mother Teresa? Martin Luther King Jr? Is it not influence not wealth that is the measurement?
Greatness is seen in the world through those who are able to conquer causing others to live under their shadow or be diminished in some way. Others are held back by the great one.
Let’s read some verses and you will see what’s in my mind this morning:-
“Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! 5 Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. 6 This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8 In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. 9 One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10 because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.” (Hebrews 7 v 4-10)
It’s not easy reading.
But basically the author is leading these believers away from abandoning Jesus Christ with their desire to go back to the way of Judaism because it is too tough to follow Christ.
Melchizedek received from Abraham.
Melchizedek blessed Abraham.
Abraham is the patriarch, the father of the faith. No one is greater in the eyes of the Jews.
The Levitical priests who are no higher than the people, for they are all descendants of their spiritual ‘father’ Abraham, tithed under him, it all pointed to him. They came after Abraham, they were ‘still in the body’ of Abraham, v10 meaning they were to come into being later. He was their past, present and future because all their activity was in the shadow of their patriarch. Such greatness!
And yet Abraham tithed to Melchizedek. And more than this he blessed Abraham who was carrying the promises, v6.
So how does this help our understanding of greatness? How do we measure greatness?
Here it is: It is not the one who has all the spoils of war (Abraham’s financial harvest) and it is not the one who has all the promises of blessing and future inheritance to come (Abraham’s promises were land, descendants, himself and the nations).
But it is the one who doesn’t want the whole but a tenth as a sign that he owns the whole. It is the one who blesses those promises that are in our lives.
The measurement of greatness is the one who wants the best for others and that can be seen by taking far less than they deserve or own and also who blesses, desires, wills if you want, that the other receives the promises that are in their life.
Melchizedek was greater than Abraham because he allowed him to have and carry the promise for more.
That’s greatness in the kingdom.
And this is why we should not walk from Christ. He provides for our life, He blesses our life and He proclaims the promises in His Word for our lives.
Greatness therefore is to live your life in such a way that:
- others benefit because of you
- others believe the best is yet to come because of you.
Missions Paul 