41 Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James and John. 42 Calling them to Himself, Jesus *said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. 43 But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.
Message: The Greatness of Service
Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.
What the Lord is Saying:
Preface -After Jesus has communicated that he is headed to die, be mocked, spit on, and scourged, two of his disciples, James and John, come to him and hearing that he will rise again, perhaps pressured as well by their mother, ask if they can sit at his right and left in glory. Jesus immediately shows them that they have no idea what they are asking.
Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James and John. The rest of the disciples didn't agree with what James and John had said to Jesus. That is good. And yet Jesus never said that personal greatness was wrong. It was simply that James and John had misunderstood the role of what it means to sit on right and left of Jesus in glory, and at that moment, perhaps they shouldn't have just been thinking of themselves. But the disciples felt that there was something was wrong in James and John only looking out for themselves and seeking to advance themselves. Calling them to Himself, Jesus *said to them - Jesus will now use this as an opportunity to teach them about motives and the importance of serving others. Clearly James and John had a motivation of seeking their own and desiring greatness. Jesus will now show them the greatness is (also) found in serving others.
He begins with - You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them. Jesus clarifies here what personal greatness means to the believer in Christ or the follower of Jesus. The other disciples, yes they were mad that James and John brought up their own personal greatness desire, but again Jesus will use that situation to describe what greatness means. Here, he takes a moment to talk about the rulers of the Gentiles. In their ruling activity, they use their greatness in order to achieve power over others. Thus, the problem isn't their greatness, the problem is their motivation. Jesus often speaks of what motivates us.
But it is not this way among you. The follower of Jesus is different. This is probably one of the harder things for many people to do and that is make a change in their life based upon their new commitment. When a person follows Jesus their life is now supposed to be different. I experienced when I trusted in Christ on August 10, 1982, one month shy of my 15th birthday. After I prayed I felt this surge of "I can do anything" now. I was elated. I rushed to tell my dad at his office. I can still remember his office, the one on Indian School, and walking into the corner office and his remark was, "Your mother will be so happy." In that moment, I thought all would be different. A difference did result. While a new life began to take shape there were still remnants of my old sinful life that remained. Overall, a person who is in Christ take on the way of Christ, the way of love.
But it is not this way among you. The follower of Jesus is different. This is probably one of the harder things for many people to do and that is make a change in their life based upon their new commitment. When a person follows Jesus their life is now supposed to be different. I experienced when I trusted in Christ on August 10, 1982, one month shy of my 15th birthday. After I prayed I felt this surge of "I can do anything" now. I was elated. I rushed to tell my dad at his office. I can still remember his office, the one on Indian School, and walking into the corner office and his remark was, "Your mother will be so happy." In that moment, I thought all would be different. A difference did result. While a new life began to take shape there were still remnants of my old sinful life that remained. Overall, a person who is in Christ take on the way of Christ, the way of love.
but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant. Here is the calling card of the Christian: service. Service is often contrary to the way we are trained. Generally, when I think of servants I think of mom's. As the God ordained helper I see them as servants. They serve our families in a way that is distinct and different than the father. Traditionally the father provides while the mother serves. The mother is often in the background, treating others as more important than themselves. Here lies one of the marks of the Christian that Jesus shows is the opposite way of what the world treats as important.
and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. From Ligonier, "Greatness in the kingdom of God comes by submitting ourselves to one another, by looking for what we can give and not for what we can gain." This idea of being a slave to another person has taken on so much disdain in our culture. Slavery, rightfully so, was in a harmful manner a business transaction in which one man's life is purchased and that man becomes a servant to the one that purchased him. Thus, the person had no means to define his own value to the world. The problem was how this was viewed and when people were forced into this way of life. This is different from the words of Jesus. He says, "whoever wishes to be first." There is an idea that greatness is not found in lording your position over others, but instead it is fund by being a servant and becoming a servant to others.
Summary - Jesus turns the tables on the disciples and James and John by helping them see that this desire to be great is not wrong, unless that desire is motivated only for personal exaltation and glory. He shifts the gears and talks about the idea that greatness is not found in lording your position over others or in using your power to make yourself great, but greatness first and foremost is found in being a servant and even the stronger idea of being a slave. It is denying your own way of life in order to meet the needs of others. Jesus would do this soon on the cross. He would be mocked, spit on and scourged as he took on the punishment of all sinners. It was only something that God could do, but a Man had to experience it.
Promise: I should be asking over and over, "what can I do for others," not "what can I do for myself."
Prayer: O Jesus, re-shape me daily into the idea that my life means more when I serve others. I realize that if we all took on that approach all needs would be met. I thank you for showing me these truths continually, for giving me a wife that serves me. You gave me a wonderful mom that served me. Thank you for those shining examples in life. Give me the courage and wisdom to continue serving others. I want this to be my desire, my goal. I want to let you define in me what it means to be first.
Summary - Jesus turns the tables on the disciples and James and John by helping them see that this desire to be great is not wrong, unless that desire is motivated only for personal exaltation and glory. He shifts the gears and talks about the idea that greatness is not found in lording your position over others or in using your power to make yourself great, but greatness first and foremost is found in being a servant and even the stronger idea of being a slave. It is denying your own way of life in order to meet the needs of others. Jesus would do this soon on the cross. He would be mocked, spit on and scourged as he took on the punishment of all sinners. It was only something that God could do, but a Man had to experience it.
Promise: I should be asking over and over, "what can I do for others," not "what can I do for myself."
Prayer: O Jesus, re-shape me daily into the idea that my life means more when I serve others. I realize that if we all took on that approach all needs would be met. I thank you for showing me these truths continually, for giving me a wife that serves me. You gave me a wonderful mom that served me. Thank you for those shining examples in life. Give me the courage and wisdom to continue serving others. I want this to be my desire, my goal. I want to let you define in me what it means to be first.
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