Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Sometimes, we ask something of someone they aren’t capable of providing. Other times, we don’t fully understand the extent of our request. And occasionally, it's not even the right question to ask at all.
We observe the disciples, John and James, doing this when they ask Jesus for a favor (Mark 10:35-37). They request to be seated in places of honor next to Jesus in his coming Kingdom. What they didn’t realize is that only God could make that decision. Nor did they fully understand what would be required of them if their request was honored (Mark 10:38-40).
Eager to voice their request, John and James had completely ignored Jesus moments earlier when he foretold his coming death for the third time (Mark 10:32-34). The disciples asked Jesus what they thought was a fair question but did not see Jesus in light of his authority. Jesus responds by saying, if you want to be great, if you want to have honor, you have to see me for who I am…
Mark 10:43-45
43 “But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Did you catch that? Jesus refers to himself as a servant instead of parading himself as a master. Slave is a term that, perhaps to our modern sensibilities, makes us feel uncomfortable. But in ancient Israel, the relationship between servant and master would have been commonly understood. A slave’s purpose was to submit to and honor their master’s authority.
This is important because Jesus responded to James and John by setting the record straight on who he really is. He emphasized his role and purpose here on earth as servant and Savior.
In order to follow the Son of Man, the disciples would need to follow Jesus' example as the suffering servant and submit to him, as their savior.
We are called to do the same.
Questions:
Do you see Jesus as your ultimate authority?
Is it difficult for you to trust in who Jesus claims to be?
Next Steps:
Take time to learn about a person before asking a question.
Write down something you struggle to be honest with God about or share that with a trusted friend.
Submit to Jesus by taking that step of trust you have been resisting.
Prayer:
God open my eyes to see who you are. I have some questions for you but help me to know who you are before I ask. I trust that you are my savior and I want to submit my life under your authority. I want to follow you, even though I could choose to go my own way. I want to thank you for being the suffering servant so I can experience the life you have for me. Amen!
This post was written by Becca Roberts, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut Devotional.