Jesus saw in his disciples the many mistakes, faults and wrong leanings they had as imperfect sinners. But we do not find him accusing them of being proud, ambitious, greedy, unmerciful or lazy persons. This would have hurt them and made them feel condemned. They would have felt that he viewed them as that kind of persons. While they manifested some of these bad traits on occasion, they were not basically or characteristically greedy, proud, and so forth. Jesus wanted to help them, not condemn them. Therefore, rather than humiliate them openly, he gave them illustrations that caused them to think​—to see the principles involved, and to apply them in their own hearts and consciences. They could see the mistake that they had made or the wrong attitude that they had manifested and then make corrections. This method was far more convincing than an outright rebuke and much more effective.

For instance, when the disciples were arguing among themselves over which one seemed to be the greatest, Jesus did not become angry at them or severely rebuke them. He did not call them haughty, selfish, greedy or ambitious. He pointed to the worldly leaders as an illustration of this bad attitude and its outcome, saying: “The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those having authority over them are called Benefactors. You, though, are not to be that way.” The disciples well knew the bad results of that “superior” attitude. Then, in contrast, Jesus referred to his own example as a servant among them, though he was their leader.​—Luke 22:24-27.

Certainly Christ’s disciples took these things to heart and corrected their own wrong thinking. This is evident in their dealings with their Christian brothers when, after Christ’s death and resurrection, they carried the load of responsibility for the Christian congregations. The letters of Peter, James and John reflect the fine, humble attitude that Christ had instilled in them.