With all due respect, it is safe to say that that Nathanael Bartholomew was not the most important of the twelve. Who do you think was? Quite a few are easy to group with him in the ‘not’ category. I would even concede that includes Thomas, about whom I spoke in April, who I always feel inclined to champion. Who was the greatest of the disciples though?

I won’t ask for votes on this but I expect Simon Peter would be a strong contender. He has such a prominent role in the gospels and was an important figure in the early history of the church. His friend John might be in the running too, having written a visionary gospel account and some very profound epistles. A more left-field choice might be Judas Iscariot – not a hero but certainly a decisive part in the story of redemption. Back onto the heroes’ side, although bending the rules, I could also see an argument for Paul. He wasn’t part of the twelve but transformed the church through his ministry and writings – more on him later.

Hopefully you have in mind our two readings from this morning and will realise that, by these speculations on greatness, I’m leading you a little way up the garden path. However, it is true to say that our own culture is deeply addicted to figuring out who is the greatest. For example, the most-watched TV shows are often contests to find the “best” in a given field. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of us in this room like to sit down to watch people get up and dance on Strictly or perhaps you make a beeline for the Bake-off. I’d like to pretend I’m immune to this craze for judging greatness but I need to be cautious about getting too smug. While I can name plenty of contests I’m not interested in, I can also think of other ones I have followed at times. Sit me down in front of Portrait Artist of the Year and you are likely to find me watching avidly and spouting opinions with the best of them!

It isn’t just me and it isn’t just you – it seems to be a trait that is deeply embedded in the human psyche. Travel back 2,000 years to the Roman province of Judea – in other words, the setting for the gospel accounts – and you find that people in those days were just the same. As evidence to support that, I give you the fact that the disciples often found themselves debating which of them would be the greatest in the kingdom of Jesus. We get that in today’s passage from Luke 22 but also Luke 9, Mark 9 and Matthew 18, which are other New Testament passages featuring the word ‘greatest’. Those three seem to be the same incident, a different one from the discussion at the Last Supper. In all three, Jesus contrasts the disciples’ desire to be honoured with the humble attitude of a child. The child enters in not by their own strength but by the love and grace of another. I also found ‘greatest’ used in Matthew 23. In that case Jesus is talking to the Pharisees and condemning their desire for greatness but the disciples were present to hear this teaching. You might be tempted to think they would have got the point but they come back to it, after Jesus has broken bread, poured out wine and spoken plainly about the new Covenant to be established through his body and blood!

If you have studied all four Last Supper accounts, you might remember that John gives a lot more details than Matthew, Mark and Luke put together. Early in John’s description of that evening, Jesus washes the disciples feet – that wonderful lesson we recall on Maundy Thursday – and demonstrates that we are called to a life of service. How on earth could those disciples be so thick as to return to the subject of which of them is the greatest later on in the same evening?

Let’s not judge them too harshly. I’m sure most of us have been similarly dense in the past and, given half the chance, will demonstrate that again in the future! When you do though, remember the graciousness of how Jesus responds to them (Luke 22:25-27, ESVUK):

The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

We like to be exalted. Perhaps even more than that, we like to sit in judgement on others. May Jesus help us to set that aside and, instead, follow his path as the Servant-King.