PrintToday's "Moment with Mark" (64)
24 January, 2013
"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. (Mark 10:38 NIV)
I wonder how many times Jesus might have said that about the prayers and requests that I have prayed? No matter how well-motivated I might be. No matter how sincere I may be. Jesus sees past my requests to the results or consequences if they were answered as per my agenda. The kindest answer that I can receive is "No".
In the case of James and John, they asked to be first in the Kingdom. For whatever reason, they still did not understand the nature of true greatness in the Kingdom of God. They were still thinking in categories like "authority ", "prestige", "power" and "control".
Yet Jesus was trying to get through to them on categories like "servant", "sacrifice". So, He tells them that they have no idea what would happen if they were appointed to those places on Jesus' left and right. They were convinced that they were up-to-the-task.
When the ten other disciples discovered what James and John had asked, they were indignant.
Why were the other ten indignant? My guess is because they didn't think of it first! Jesus saw this as one of those teaching moments and imparted some of the richest insights on New Testament Leadership to be found anywhere.
So Jesus called them together and said, "You know that in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over the people beneath them. But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all. For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:41-45 NLT)
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