Day 42: the Discordant Tune of Tooting Your Own Horn

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached him and said, “Teacher, we want you to do whatever we ask you.” “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked them. They answered him, “Allow us to sit at your right and at your left in your glory.” Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you’re asking. Are you able to drink the cup I drink or to be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” “We are able,” they told him. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with. But to sit at my right or left is not mine to give; instead, it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” When the ten disciples heard this, they began to be indignant with James and John. Mark 10:35–41

The motley crew of twelve disciples is now several years into an itinerant world mission project led by Jesus. They’ve heard Him teach multiple times about meekness, servanthood, and how the last will be first. The Son of God has also soberly informed them three times by now (Mark 8:31–32; 9:31; 10:32–34) that He’s going to be murdered right around the corner in Jerusalem. Yet they’re still so infected with a “What’s in it for me?” mentality, they can’t stop fussing about who gets to ride shotgun.

Their presumptuous request probably relates back to His promise that the disciples would sit on twelve thrones with Him in heaven (Matt. 19:28). But these two prideful siblings foolishly laid an earthly template over His divine promise and were jockeying for the best position in Glory! My goodness, that’d be like if a troll who lived under a bridge was graciously invited into a philanthropist’s mansion for dinner but instead of displaying gratitude, he plopped his grimy self down on a spotless, antique dining chair and demanded fresh-caught lobster as his first course.

The world says, Push to the front of the line! Jesus says, Go to the back of the line.

The world says, Brand yourself and blast your accomplishments all over social media! Jesus says, If you want to be great you have to first learn to serve.

The King of all kings laid down His scepter in Glory and condescended to become man. Not a man from an impressive lineage, background, or position either. He chose to be born in a barn to an unwed teen-aged girl, who soon married His stepdad, Joe, who was a total blue-collar guy. He didn’t just come to be like us so as to save some of us; He became like the least of us so as to save all of us. He is not an archetypal king. Instead of ruling from a castle, He had no place to lay His head at night. Instead of overseeing His kingdom from a throne carved out of gold and inlaid with precious jewels, He chose to look out over mankind from a much simpler throne crafted from rough-hewn wooden crossbars. His disciples may have wanted to be first, but He chose to be last—to save them from themselves.

• What are a few examples of how you think heavenly grandeur will differ from earthly grandeur?
• In what ways do you sometimes strive to be first?
• How can you specifically fight your inclination to want the seat of glory? How can you “reflect genuine humility” in your spheres of influence?