Disputing The Greatest

Ἐγένετο δὲ καὶ φιλονεικεία ἐν αὐτοῖς, τὸ, τίς αὐτῶν δοκεῖ εἶναι μείζων. Οἱ μέντοι μαθηταὶ ἀνθρωπινόν τι παθνότες, πεφιλονεικήκασι πρὸς ἀλλήλους, τίς ἄρα μείζων ἔσται ἐν αὐτοῖς, οὐκ ἀνεχομένων τάχα που τῶν τὴν δευτέραν ἐχόντων τάξιν τοῖς πρωτεύουσι παραχωρεῖν. Κεκίνηται δὲ τοῦτο καὶ γέγραπται πρὸς ὄνησιν ἡμετέραν· ἐπετίμα γὰρ παραχρῆμα Χριστὸς τῇ τοιᾄδε νόσῳ· τοῦτο δὲ ἦν ἡ ἀνόητος φιλοδοξία, ῥίζαν ἔχουσα τὴν ὑπεροψίαν. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ᾐρθαι κατ' ἀρετὴν, τοῦ παντὸς ἄξιον λόγου· δεῖ δὲ τοὺς οὕτω διακειμένους μετρίῳ κεχρῆσθαι φρονήματι, καὶ παραχωρεῖν ἐξ ἀγάπης ἀδελφοῖς τὸ ἐν μείζοσιν εἴναι δοκεῖν. Τὸ γὰρ πεφυσημένον ἔχειν τὸ φρόνημα, παραπλησίους ὁρᾶσθαι ποιεῖ τοῖς τῶν ἐθνῶν ἡγουμένους, οἴς τὸ ὑπέρογκον φρόνημα φίλον ἀεί πώς ἐστιν· εὐεργέται γὰρ, φησὶ, καλοῦνται, τουτέστι, κολακεύονται παρὰ τῶν ὑποβεβηκότων. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ὡς ἔξω νόμων ἱερῶν ἐν τοιαύτις ἔστωσαν ἀῥῥωστίαις· παρ' ὑμῖν δὲ οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλ' ἔστω τὸ ὕψος ἐν ταπεινότητι. Ἅγιος Κύριλλος Ἀλεξανδρείας, Ἐξὴγησις Εἰς Τὸ Κατὰ Λούκαν Εὐάγγελιον, Κεφα ΚΒ' Source: Migne PG 72.912c-d

And there was dissension among them, who was the greatest of them. 1 The disciples, suffering from humanity, contended among themselves, who was to be the greatest in the future, they perhaps who were second in order among them unwilling to cede to the first. However this troublesome dispute was written for our profit. For instantly Christ denounced their infirmity, He who had not care for the love of glory, of which the root is pride. For to be lifted up to virtue, is worthy of every praise, and thus a modest soul befits those who are set against this measure, who with fraternal love concede preeminence to one another. Certainly they who bear a bloated spirit seem to be like one of the princes of the nations who are ever accustomed to be haughty in mind, they who are named benefactors by the flattery of those they oppress. But these, as outside the sacred laws, and by this beset by sickness, be not as them, but be exalted in your humility. Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of Saint Luke, from Chapter 22 1 Lk 22.24