This Sunday we will be studying Mark 10:32-45. Here is what is going on. This is the third time Jesus predicts his death in the gospel of Mark. Again, the disciples reveal by their words that they really don’t get it! They really have not grasped Jesus’ purpose and therefore are out in left field concerning their own calling. Actually, they are not even in the ball park.
When Jesus says get ready because I am going to die a nasty death, James and John run up to him and want to talk about their inheritance. They ask, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.” Pretty bold! Obviously, all Jesus previous lessons have not registered—“save your life by losing it, the last will be first, if anyone want to be first he must be the servant of all.” James and John view greatness in terms of power and pride.
Jesus helps them along by clearly stating His purpose verse 45.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
Here’s how you can help with this Sunday. Please tell me how in specific ways you see yourself (or others) in James and John as a comment on the blog. You might think of it this way: where and how do you see the gap between Jesus coming to serve through death, and your own attempts to serve Him and others around you?
Recruit some friends to give their opinion.
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12 comments:
Jesus came to serve us by dying, exchanging his life for ours, as you stated. Too often I look for ways to "serve" without having to exchange anything very significant, much less my life. I'm willing to exchange a portion of time, but only if it fits into my schedule. I'm willing to exchange a portion of money, but only if it fits into my budget. In short, I try to serve without having to give up anything that would feel like a "cost."
Thanks Sarabeth. It makes me ask this question, "Am I really serving if it doesn't cost me anything?"
As Christians, I think we often feel that our level of service is somehow less than what it should be (less fruitful, less effective, less appreciated – because there is something in all of us that wants our service to be appreciated). When this happens, instead of trying to serve more effectively, I feel like we tend to try to just serve MORE. So we sign up for one more thing like a group of people who just want to get really busy for Jesus, without really connecting with him through these acts of service that we so diligently pencil into our schedules. Jesus understood why he served – he didn’t sign up for it at a table in the lobby, or because the pastor said we needed x many volunteers. He did it as a way to show the Father’s love for His people. He used his acts of service to remain intimitely connected to God - and to make sure that we could remain so - even unto death. So for me the gap is: Do I just serve because someone needs something? Or because I want to do something for that person that will help both me and them remain/become intimately connected to God?
I am so like the disciples…thinking that significance is based on my position in life, what I have achieved, how well I perform. Isn’t that what the world tells us? How counter-cultural it is to be the last instead of the first, the lowest instead of the best, and to serve instead of being served. Honestly, the only way is by the grace of God and the surrendering of my entire self to Him. That is why I decided to go to CR because I realized how “my self” was getting in the way of God’s best for my life. CR is a place where one can enter into a deep, abiding relationship with the Lord which results in tremendous healing and freedom from resentments, fears, hurts, hangups, and wrong thinking. It is a room full of grace - a place where one can come to explore who they are in Christ while being fully accepted. It is a safe place to discover why we do the things we do (for instance, why we want to be served instead of serve). CR has been eye opening experience for me - helping me understand how my experiences in childhood, what my parents valued and what I thought brought me significance shape every aspect of my life and thus, prevent me from operating how Jesus would want. I am slowly discovering what it really looks like to be a follower of Christ and a servant of the King.
I want to serve people who are nice to me, or who I believe "deserve" it. Also, I want to be thanked. And I want God to thank me for serving Him & others by blessing me. At the core, my service is still selfish in nature.
If Mark 10:35 is not indicative of so much of church today and often my own spiritual life then nothing is. James and John (and consequently me) ask Jesus "We want you do whatever we ask of you."
They are focused inward. Jesus is focused outward. Verses 32-34 and 42-45 focused on Jesus' grand vision, a life given over in service and sacrifice to others.
Verses 35-41 showcase our sinful humanity, that even as we walk with Jesus our greatest idol is ourselves. We yearn for all these things to satisfy us apart from Jesus so many times. We think heaping more power upon ourselves will someone satisfy us more or give us more meaning or purpose.
Jesus pushes back against this strongly. A life lived on mission, a life as slave to all, a life serving others is where one find's their ultimate meaning and purpose. The Kingdom of God is a beautifully backwards thing.
The world says "find yourself" or "make yourself better" or "pursue what makes you happy" and there you will find life and hope and meaning. Jesus says to James and John and to the church today that that is not the way. Find Jesus, pursue Him, make Him your treasure, Him your joy, Him your purpose, Him your hope, Him your idol, Him your prize, Him your life, Him your great King and Savior.
In service to others we find the great call of our lives. John and James say "WE WANT THIS!!" and Jesus lovingly says "You don't really want that, you just think you do."
What the world has always needed is not men making themselves God but a God who made Himself a man, a man who came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life...that all might live in Him.
Makes my think of Luke 9 and ask myself "where am I trying to save my life?" Jesus came to surrender and die, if I'm holding onto something other than Him then I'm off the mark. The paradox is tough and takes the ultimate faith, in losing my life for Christ I save it. Do I trust Christ that much, my actions say "no" but I'm working on it.
Not sure if I can make this coherent - here goes...
I see myself in James and John in that I want to be important and appreciated. When I serve, people should know who I am and what I'm doing and be thankful. Ugh. That makes me nauseous to think that is true of me...But what Jesus teaches me over and over in the Word is to be humble, and instead of wanting importance, see others as important and appreciate them. Give them the grace I have undeservedly received.
I see myself in james and john, in that they thought being with Jesus would benefit them. Jesus was going to be their "golden ticket." I don't understand service because I'm like james and john, in that I wonder how people can benefit me. I don't mind serving the play-makers, the influential, the folks that have connections. I'm less likely to serve people that have nothing to bring to the table, or people that can't return a favor, or people that can't advance me in some way. Sadly, I still have so much james and john in me.
10 years ago, I would have been right up with James and John. I was asking Christ, "If I follow you, what are you going to give me?" Sure I would volunteer at the church, approximately once a year, but that was it. There was always a constant thought, "There is more to this."
A.I.M. Air pilot, Frank Toews, said it best -"How can I use my gifts, talents and abilities to glorify God? How can I use my gifts talents and abilities to do something -that if I don't do it, it won't get done."
I don't advocate signing all forms that need volunteers. As I matured in my Christian faith, I found that God gave me gifts to do certain projects that were tailored to me. Some are easy, some are hard, some are "God you can step in anytime because I can't do this." When you serve in the right areas, you deepen your relationship with God. When that happens how can you view it as work?
Frank is my hero, because in the end, he paid the ultimate price. Had I not chosen to serve God in areas I thought impossible, I would have never met him as well.
Thanks to everyone for these comments. They have been very helpful in preparing for my sermon this Sunday. Neil
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