Greatness

Jesus’s understanding of greatness differs greatly from his disciples’ understanding of greatness. According to Jesus, greatness in the kingdom of heaven is defined by humility, lowliness, and love. For the disciples, just like with the kingdoms of the world, greatness involves power, which is often connected to pride, narcissism, and selfishness. The animated film Despicable Me (directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud [Universal Pictures, 2010]) illustrates this contrast well. While Gru represents pride and the pursuit of power, the three little orphaned girls represent humility and love. The latter proves to be greater than the former, as the humility and love of the three little ones ultimately wins out.