But you shall not be like them. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves.
Parallel translations
- WEB But not so with you. But one who is the greater among you, let him become as the younger, and one who is governing, as one who serves.
- KJV But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
- NKJV But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.
- NASB But it is not this way for you; rather, the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant.
- NLT But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus tells His disciples not to imitate worldly rulers, but to let the greater become like the younger and the leader like a servant. He redefines greatness as humble service.
Overview
In the Kingdom, status is inverted: leadership means serving, and seniority means lowliness. Jesus calls His followers to reject the domineering ways of the world. This teaching flows from His own example and forms the heart of Christian leadership in the church.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- 1 Pet 5:5Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Mark 9:35Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all.”
- 1 Pet 5:3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
- Matt 18:3–5“Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
- 3 Jn 1:9–10I have written to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not accept our instruction.
- Matt 23:8–12But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.
- Luke 9:48And He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. For whoever is the least among all of you, he is the greatest.”
- Rom 12:2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 22:26 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.