In our relationships with others, we often find a lack of love in our hearts. We are insensitive to people's feelings and indifferent to their circumstances. Our lack of love shows up as hidden anger, impatience, irritation, bitterness and a tendency to quickly pass judgment. If we analyze these feelings and actions, we find that all of them have their roots in some form of pride. Like the Pharisee in Jesus' story, we feel superior because of our background, ministry position, education, knowledge or spiritual experience.
Jesus' disciples were radical: They were men who forsook all to follow Christ and held nothing back. They left their homes, parents, families—everything. Yet after three-and-a-half years of listening to Jesus' teaching, learning from His example and experiencing His presence, they were fighting about who among them was the greatest.
For us this means that we, too, can forsake all, be totally committed to world evangelism and be willing to die for Christ. Yet within our hearts, pride can still exist, as well as the longing to be more important than others.
