24 Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.
Some people are just inclined to argue about just about anything. It seems they are always in a fight. In fact when they are not fighting, we think there is something wrong with them. This tendency toward finding grounds for disagreement gets built into character over time. Most of our personality traits got built into us over time. And when the Lord points out those traits and asks us to submit them to His hand, it takes time for them to get worked out of our character. The disciples are arguing about another small matter. Most arguments are about small matters, especially among married couples. Things that just don’t really matter end up being the content of disputes. Usually that is because talking about the heart of the matter is too difficult, or as of yet still unknown. Most fights boil down to one simple question: Will you be here for me emotionally when I need you? Fear motivates so many arguments. The disciples are arguing about their position in the Kingdom. They wanted to know who was at the top of the pecking order. They didn’t have a rank structure or an organizational chart to refer to, so they got into an argument over it. What is missing in the English is the idea that they were ready to quarrel, sitting on the edge wanting to jump into the fight. Their individual and collective posture was “itching for a fight.” And these were the disciples! Jesus’ first followers were a bunch of self-centered, selfish men fighting for position, not the saintly sort depicted in all those old paintings. But the best of those paintings do show the weakness of the humanity of the disciples. They were just like us, filled with weaknesses and propensity to sin. And yet the Lord was able to move in and through them to change the world. There is hope for us. If we will yield to His hand, He will change us and use us in eternally powerful ways.
The Arnold Journey 