Who is the GOAT? GOAT is a modern acronym for the coveted title of Greatest Of All Time. It is applied rather generously in a wide variety of settings and is argued vehemently in others. Nowhere is this more clearly seen than in the world of professional basketball. This has been particularly true with the recent accomplishments of Lebron James and the imminence of his retirement. This has led to passionate debate by fans and experts alike over who is the GOAT of NBA basketball.
While there are many candidates who were the greatest of their time, two generally rise above the rest in the GOAT debate. They are the aforementioned Lebron James and Michael Jordan. Supporters of Lebron will point to the unprecedented longevity and sustained level of play of his career, along with the numerous records he has broken and the four championships he won. Supporters of Jordan will point to his dominance during a more physical era of basketball, six trips to the finals, six championships won, and the shadow he still casts over the world through the Jordan brand. The argument only grows from there, comparing stats, facts, figures, and awards of all kinds. It is an argument without end.
While the term GOAT is new, the argument over who is the greatest is not.
While the term GOAT is new, the argument over who is the greatest is not. It can be seen in countless ways in cultures across the globe and through the ages. It’s a debate that litters the pages of Scripture, even among the closest followers of Jesus. Luke 22:24-27 reads as follows: Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. Jesus told them “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ 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. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.”
None of the gospels provide a detailed play by play of how this discussion went down. We aren’t provided with the reasons each disciple believed they should be allowed to serve as Christ’s right and left hand men. We aren’t given a clear criteria they believed they met that qualified them to hold positions of power and authority. What is clear, though, is that the disciples believed that being in Christ’s inner circle would result in prominent positions and power. While James and John, along with their mother, started the discussion about who should be the greatest, all of the disciples believed they deserved to be the greatest.
It’s a debate that has continued to rear its ugly head within the church, and has been prominent in denominational dealings in recent months and years. We continue to argue about who is qualified to hold positions of power within the church. We point to our theology and to the select passages of Scripture that support our positions. We do so in the name of doctrinal integrity, but if we were to be honest with ourselves, the discussion is all about control. It’s about who is worthy to hold positions of power and who is not. It is about who gets to be the greatest in God’s Kingdom. I wonder what Jesus would say to us if He were standing among us during these debates. I have to think His words would be somewhat similar to what He said in Luke 22.
If our theology leads us to fight about positions of power and control rather than leading us to offer compassionate care as we ALL preach and live the good news of the gospel, we are doing it wrong.
The gospel and the Kingdom of God are not about positions and power. They are not about systems and structure. They certainly aren’t about making much of our own greatness. Too often our theology and the Bible are used as a weapons to put others in their place and to elevate ourselves. But, if our theology leads us to fight about positions of power and control rather than leading us to offer compassionate care as we ALL preach and live the good news of the gospel, we are doing it wrong. We undoubtedly need to return to the Bible and reevaluate our attitudes and actions, and our theology and the systems and structures it creates.
While it makes sense that talking heads on the television will argue about who is the greatest athlete, leader, politician, activist, etc., it’s an argument that is unbecoming of followers of Jesus. We should spend much less time arguing about positions, power, and who qualifies to be the greatest in God’s church, and more time following the example of Christ Himself. The best theology helps us understand who God is and leads us to live accordingly. Jesus provided a clear example for us to follow. Though He was and remains the Greatest Of All Time, He came down to serve the least and the lost. What a difference we would make in the world if rather than scrambling for our seat next to Him on the stage we humbly served others as He did.
