Last night, millions of TVs across the country tuned into the Academy Awards (Oscars). It was a reminder that ours is a hero-worshipping culture. Stars and starlets come and go with great frequency, gracing the covers of magazines and filling TV screens one day, then giving way to the newest round the next. You know our culture loves to create and worship heroes when the likes of people such as Paris Hilton and the Kardashians gain notoriety for nothing more than just being famous.

Christians sadly get caught up in the madness as we create our own set of saintly celebs; high profile stars, athletes, and publicly famous men and women who openly profess their faith in Jesus. All too often, we follow our culture’s definition of greatness as opposed to Jesus’ definition of greatness we find in the New Testament. We celebrate men and women of renown and acumen. We laud those who have attained some measure of visibility and notoriety. To contrast, let’s consider Jesus’ definition of greatness:

But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. – Mark 10:43-45

Jesus identified three marks of true greatness and none of them had anything to do with fame or popularity. First, in verse 43 Jesus indicated that the truly great ones serve. The great ones look for ways to invest in others not themselves. They are willing to do for others what most people would never consider.

Second, in verse 44 Jesus reminds us that the great ones are selfless. In God’s eyes greatness does not come to those who high and lifted up, but to those who humble themselves like a lowly slave. Do you see the contrast? The important person is not the truly great one, but the slave who serves the important person.

Then in verse 45, Jesus demonstrates that the great ones make the ultimate sacrifice. No one would argue that Jesus is absolutely THE GREATEST, yet Jesus did not come to be served but to serve and give up His life as a ransom. The truly great ones are not the ones who get all the credit and attention, but rather the ones who are willing to give themselves up for the good of others.

Let’s rethink what it means to be great, strive to be award winners in His eyes, and celebrate the men, women, and young people we know who model His definition of greatness.