The Greatest of All

If I had a dollar every time I heard someone argue about who is the greatest NBA player of all-time, I would be a very wealthy man. 

Even the disciples were foolish enough to ask Jesus the question, “Who is the greatest?” The event is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, occurring at different times, which indicates it was an ongoing issue among the disciples. 

What was Jesus’ response? Unless you become like a child, you will never enter the Kingdom of God. Children in that culture had no social status or importance, so this emphasized a need for genuine humility and dependence on God. He also added that whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all. 

Jesus not only told his disciples this truth, He modeled it by washing their feet. His lesson was that the person who is the least and humbles themselves is the most will be the greatest in God’s kingdom. 

We are programmed daily to believe what we think we see and what we are told. If we only knew, understanding what we don’t see is so much more powerful. There is a greater unseen Kingdom waiting for us someday, but there is an unseen supernatural battle going on right in front of us as well.  

How many times have we heard about Heaven?  What must we do to see it? Jesus said that we must do two things. We must first believe like a little child, then accept and become like our Servant King! By doing these two things, we can become great in the eyes of our King.

I have been to ground zero in New York City, I have been to what is called the lowest point on earth near the Dead Sea. I have been in some of the most beautiful valleys on earth, but I have also been in some very dark valleys that I could not wait to climb my way out of. It is one of the many reasons I have such a passionate love for mountaintops. 

By climbing to the peak of a mountain, you are rewarded with a breathtaking view which often produces majestic waterfalls, lush valleys, and so much more. It often seems like you are standing on top of the world. One of my favorite verses in the Bible says through the smallest amount of faith, we are able to move an entire mountain! 

On my 50th birthday, I climbed a 4K, a mountain in Colorado called Longs Peak. I have driven to the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado, Mount Olympia in Washington, hiked the Half Dome in Yosemite (CA), Lookout Mountain (TN), Pali Lookout and Waimea Canyon in Hawaii. I have seen the Grand Canyon (AZ) and The Grand Tetons (WY), but my journey has not stopped there. 

I have been on mountain tops in Alaska close enough on a clear day you could see Mount Denali (20,310 feet), but once there it wasn’t enough. I wanted to see the greatest mountain in the world! 

My journey took me on a mission trip to Bhutan in the mighty Himalayas! On my first day in Bhutan, just hours after landing on one of the most dangerous runways on earth, I survived hiking 3000 feet to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery (Paro Taktsang), which sets over 10,000 feet above sea level. Built centuries ago, it’s widely considered one of the great wonders of the world due to its breathtaking location clinging to a cliff. 

As great as The Tigers Nest was, it was not enough. Why? I still wanted to see what everyone said was the greatest. From the Dochula Pass, I was able to see the Gangkhar Puensum, reaching 24,840 feet above sea level. It is famous for being the world’s highest unclimbed mountain due to Bhutanese spiritual beliefs that prohibit climbing peaks viewing them as sacred homes of deities. 

I also made it to Bhutan’s highest pass, the Chele La Pass, reaching an elevation of 13,083 feet. It’s the highest motorable pass in the kingdom, connecting the Paro and Haa valleys, offering stunning views of Himalayan peaks like Jomolhari and Jichu Drake. 

Bhutan is still a kingdom and we were blessed to be guest of the king due to his love of basketball. The queen actually played a game against our girls while we were there. Using basketball, we were so blessed to witness to unreached Buddhist about Jesus. I left Bhutan amazed, but I had still not yet seen what is considered by most the greatest mountain in the world, Mount Everest (29,032 ft). 

As we flew out of Bhutan on our way home, I had a window seat. The pilot came on the intercom with the following news, “If you look out your window, we have been blessed with a clear day and as a result you can see in the distance Mount Everest.” It was one of those cool moments in life when you believe you have arrived at your dream or the end of a journey. I had seen what I had been told was the greatest mountain on earth. Yes, it was a very cool moment, but what if I was to tell you that I had believed a lie. 

Yesterday in Kid’s Church, a little girl by the name of Emily came up to me and asked,“What is the tallest mountain on earth?”  I was pumped to be able to tell her that I had seen that mountain. I told her, “Mount Everest!” She smiled and said, “Wrong”. She said, “It is Mount Mauna Kea in Hawaii. It is 13,803 feet tall.” I said, “Are you sure?” Little Emily responded with a big smile, “Yes, from the bottom of the ocean floor to the top of the volcanic mountain, it is the greatest mountain in the world.” 

When measured from its base on the ocean floor, its total height is over 33,500 feet, making it taller than Mount Everest. Thanks to Emily, my journey continues! Next stop, the Big Island! 

Let’s take what a little girl was able to help me see, and translate that to life. We focus way too much on the greatness we can accomplish on earth, while we should be focusing on the greatness we cannot see, The Kingdom of Heaven!  I promise you Emily can tell you about the greatness of the Kingdom of Heaven. Her vision and faith are off the charts. Maybe it is time we close our eyes and see what we can’t see! See what Emily sees! True Greatness!