November 7
To serve
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying…“Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.” Mark 10:35-37 (NKJV)
The more Mark’s gospel highlights the twelve disciples, the more obvious their flaws become. One of their greatest character defects was their desire for stature and status once Jesus established His kingdom. We see evidence of that here as James and John try to get the inside track on being Christ’s “go-to guys” once everything was set up.
Keep in mind, Jesus had already taught them His kingdom didn’t work that way. The way up was down, and those who wanted to be great would have to be least. Clearly, this lesson hadn’t taken hold in the disciple’s hearts, and when word of this request got out, they started to argue with each other. Jesus seized the moment to reinforce the reality that would shape the rest of their earthly lives:
“Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Mark 10:43-45 (NKJV)
Christ reminds the disciples of the lesson He previously taught them, but then He takes it one step further by holding Himself up as the ultimate example. “You want to be great? You want power and authority? Look at Me…what do you see Me doing? My whole existence revolves around serving others. If you want to be great like me, serve like me.”
“To serve.” Those two words really summarize the whole Book of Mark. They capture the life of Christ as it’s portrayed in this gospel perfectly. And not only that, they also serve as the marching orders for every one of us who wants to follow in Christ’s footsteps. Instead of seeking stature or status, we should seek to serve. After all, that’s what Jesus did.
Think About It…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
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