Last Monday was Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving Day. I noticed many Mandarin speakers discussing the Mid-Autumn Festival and family reunions on social media. While the cultural practices differ, both festivals share common themes of celebrating the harvest, reuniting with family, and expressing gratitude. 

Last week, my sister in Korea called, and we spoke for a while. She is a medical doctor and front-line worker, as well as the primary caretaker for our elderly mother, who turned 90 in August. We discussed our mom’s health, how her memory is fading, our grown-up children, and our own health. I visited my family in Korea last year, and I miss them dearly.

May I share my personal story? I grew up in a small city in Korea, now called Iksan. I was an obedient child who didn’t cry much or cling to my mother. My mother would frequently be away for work, and she had a clever tactic to keep me well-behaved: she would promise me to buy something I wanted, and it worked! While she was away, I often played with my older sister.  Although we look alike, we are so different in so many ways. She studied science while I studied literature. She became a physician, and I became a pastor. 

Despite our differences, we got along well, even during our teenage years. I admired her talents and achievements. From my perspective, she had it all: intelligence, popularity, and leadership. She always seemed to know all the right answers, and had great relationships with all our teachers. She had been the top student for years and earned the highest score on the national medical exam. She was simply great, receiving all the attention and honour from our family. 

Because my sister was so well-known for her intelligence and work ethic, some unusual things happened to me. On the first day of second grade, my teacher called me to the front of the class. She introduced me to the students and said, “Nam, Ok, I know Hye-Kyung is your sister, and because of that, you will be class president from now on. Today, you need to lead your classmates in cleaning the room. I will give you my bamboo stick. If anyone doesn’t listen to you, you can use this.”  

I thought to myself, “How strange! Why would I use the stick on my classmates?”  I never liked that teacher’s stick, a disciplinary tool that we all feared. It was a symbol of authority and power used to control the students!  After a few minutes, I quietly returned the stick to my teacher’s desk. It was clear that I disliked that stick, a symbol of power and status. 

This is the image Peter envisioned for the Messiah, which also reflects the disciples’ desire. Peter saw Christ as a “superman,” believing Christ would be a strong warrior who would conquer all forms of evil and oppression. In truth, this aligns with our common understanding of greatness. We all aspire to be great; no one wishes to be insignificant or without value. We have the desire to be “someone” to achieve “something” meaningful. 

In today’s passage, the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest. Perhaps the three core members—Peter, James, and John—felt pride in witnessing Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountaintop and used that experience to assert their own greatness. Meanwhile, the rest of the disciples, who had been unable to heal a boy with an evil spirit during their teacher’s absence, may have felt ashamed of their failure and powerlessness. 

However, Jesus redefines the traditional concept of greatness. He says, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” In the kingdom of God, greatness and status belong to those who serve others. The “last” are considered the “first,” last – not in terms of power, but in the humility of servanthood, following the example of Jesus. This is a sharp contrast to the worldly image of leadership, like a class president who rules by force and intimidation. 

Jesus often described the kingdom of God using odd, impossible, or unexpected comparisons. He likened it to something as small and seemingly insignificant as a mustard seed, or to something considered impure and unclean, often associated with woman’s impurity. He also spoke of children, who at the time and place were viewed as nobodies without value or status. In other words, for Jesus, the kingdom of God is for those who are seen as insignificant, unclean, or easily dismissed. However, Jesus’ followers believed the kingdom was something grand and somewhere distant, but he emphasized that it is present among them, within them – not outside of them. 

This definition of greatness that Jesus offers us stands in stark contrast to the values of our current world, as it is entirely counter-cultural. Yet, he continually calls us to imagine that true greatness is found in service – by caring for the most vulnerable, those with little influence or power, and those marginalized by society. He challenges us to resist the imperial powers of our time, all for the sake of the kingdom of God. 

A biblical view of greatness, as exemplified by Christ in revealing God’s greatness, is found in servanthood. “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” This way of defining greatness goes against popular beliefs and common sense, yet, it is the way of Christ, his disciples, and his church. As followers of Jesus, we believe that true greatness is found in service, as this is what makes one great in the eyes of God.

As election day approaches, today’s scripture offers us valuable insight into the qualities we should look for in our candidates. Many will present themselves as true servants, claiming that their motivations are not rooted in control, unlike those who hold a bamboo stick. It will be interesting to see which candidate truly embraces the marginalized members of our community, encouraging their participation in the public sphere and serving the people with genuine care.

Thanks be to Jesus, who challenges us to go against the grain. Empower us and grant us your courage and wisdom so that we may achieve true greatness. Amen.