No title captures our collective cultural consciousness more these days than greatest: the greatest church, the greatest era, the greatest sports hero—the G.O.A.T (greatest of all time). This weekend, the NFL Super Bowl—the undisputed ultimate game—takes the field, where the moniker of greatest team ever is on the line. One player wiser than his age who once played in “the Game” offered this observation:
“If the Super Bowl is the ultimate game, how come there is another one next year?” ― Duane Thomas
Greatness challenges our psyche. Charles Schultz, the creator of the great Peanut comic strip, pondered the verifiability of true greatness in his day. He developed a simple test in the form of a two-part quiz: PART ONE: (1) Name the five wealthiest people in the world. (2) Name the last five Heisman trophy winners. (3) Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest.
The facts are, none of us remember personally the headliners of yesterday. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Shultz added a second component to his test: PART TWO: (1) List a few teachers who aided your journey through school. (2) Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time. (3) Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile who inspired you.
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards, but the ones who have a personal impact, a character-building influence. So, people like Rosa Parks—a simple seamstress who refused to give up a seat on a segregated bus—belongs in the conversation of greatness.
The question of true greatness was raised in Jesus’ day. In Mark 9:43-50, Christ offered up a simple recipe for greatness couched in the imagery of a common commodity—salt. As salt influences the essential character of food as a flavor enhancement, a preservative, and a cleanser, great men in God’s eyes have salt—the essential Christian characteristic of self-sacrifice that influences their hands, their feet, and their eyes. They must keep their saltiness as a church. When it comes to greatness, if you’re gonna talk the talk, then you’ve got to salt the salt.
Judge your hands if you want them to do great things. Jesus admonished his disciples to judge what their hands have been doing and make some painful, but necessary choices to achieve greatness and avoid waste, so that they can serve.
43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell, to the unquenchable fire. Mark 9:43
Second, judge your feet if you want them to lead you to great places. Jesus admonished his disciples to judge where their feet have taken them and make some painful, but necessary choices to walk humbly and live with mercy.
45 If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. Mark 9:45
Finally, judge your eyes if you want to see true greatness in your life. (47-48). Jesus admonished his disciples to judge what they looked at, and make some painful, but necessary choices to see injustice and right it.
47 If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out! It is better to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell…
The imaginations and visions of man can lead to a wasteful end. Make the tough choices, but necessary choices and guard your mind and eyes.
49 Everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other. Mark 9:49,50
Do not lose that essential characteristic that makes you Christian, that makes you His follower, His church—the saltiness of your salt. Keep the influence of the Holy Spirit over your hands, feet and eyes. Make the choices that make a difference so true greatness will be found in your self sacrifice over self service. Keep your devotion to others for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Don’t just talk the talk, salt the salt and be great always.
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