Humility, Service, and Suffering ~ Day 27

October 28 2006 - Day 27

Mark 10:35-45

Passage: Mark is still revealing this theme concerning the disciples and their confusion about Jesus and His kingdom. James and John ask Jesus a favor. They ask if they can sit at Jesus’ right and left hand when Jesus is exalted in glory in His kingdom. In other words they want to be the Jesus’ number one men. They want a place of importance, power, prestige in the coming kingdom of Christ. Little did they know, the kingdom would not be about import, power, and prestige. Rather, the kingdom of Christ is about humility, service, and suffering. Jesus makes it clear that He did not come to sit on a throne but rather to die on a cross. Jesus challenges their request and corrects their request. Jesus says this great word, “and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man [Jesus] came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Application: This passage has profound implications for my life. Jesus has not received me into His kingdom to seek after honor, receive service, or gain temporal comforts. Quite frankly, this is a scary passage. In verse 39-40 Jesus predicted the sufferings and martyrdoms of James and John. Jesus did not call them to easy living, and He does not call me to easy living. First, I must be humble. I must not do things in order that people will recognize me or talk good about me. I shouldn’t be trying to make a name for myself. Jesus humbled himself in such a profound and admirable way when He descended from the glory of heaven to take on a human body and nature. I must be willing to come down to the lowest level of society in order to minister to all types of people. Secondly, I must not seek to gain great power. Jesus said that His disciples are not to rule in the same way that the Gentile rulers rule, cruelly and burdensomely. But rather with compassion and trust in God that He will accomplish what needs to be accomplished. Thirdly, I must be willing to minister to those who hate me and want to kill me. Jesus is the supreme example. James is another great example. He later became the first Christian martyr. Oh God, humble me and give me a servant’s heart that is willing to suffer for the sake of your gospel!