Mark 10:35-40
“Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.””
Mark 10:35-40 NIV
Sometimes the Scriptures are just too honest. I'm being a little sarcastic but just a little. The people we see, even those who are potentially our heroes, are so much like us, sometimes even worse than us.
Their feet of clay help make the grace of Jesus real and accessible. Jesus' closest followers reveal that they don't really understand what He has just said to them about His upcoming death and what His life, ministry, and purpose are.
Peter reminded Jesus a few verses earlier what they gave up to follow Him. They seem to ignore what He has just told them in the previous verses about a horrible price He will pay for them. They can think only of their own glory.
So while they courageously overcome their fear and dread to follow Him to Jerusalem, they also have a great desire to get the big payoff from their association with Him. Of course, the real question is whether they follow Him as they should just because He is Lord and worthy of their allegiance.
But then, their lack of understanding and their greed become the opportunity for us to ask ourselves the same question. Will we follow Jesus even if the costs are high and the appearances suggest that there is no earthly payoff?
Pride is something that we all struggle with. It was pride that caused the angel Lucifer to rebel against God and be kicked out of heaven and to become the Devil.
Pride is what caused Adam and Eve to want to become like God so they disobeyed Him and took the fruit they were commanded not to eat.
Pride causes us to sin in so many ways each day. We think we deserve the best piece of cake, the biggest slice of pizza. We think we should get the best grade. We think we’re better at our job than other employees. We want people to notice how well dressed we are, how funny or how wise we are.
Pride turns us inward so that we don’t see many of the needs of people around us and we don’t serve them.
Pride is a major issue in all of our lives and we are called to put pride to death if Jesus Christ is our Saviour and Lord.
We are called to live with humility instead of pride, serving others, thinking of their needs before our own. Praise God that our Saviour Jesus Christ is our perfect example of humility and service.
Many times, especially as young believers, we pray that we might be used of God mightily for some great purpose of His. God answers these prayers according to His will for our lives, even though we may have no idea or understanding at the time that the fruit born as God grants our request to be used in His service will involve for us a share in the sufferings of His Son Jesus Christ, drinking from the cup and being baptized with the baptism of His sufferings.
These sufferings will involve the death, or relinquishment, of our own desires and plans for our lives, and possibly the relinquishment of many of the good things that we hoped God would bless us with in this life, if He should require it of us.
A point to be made again is that even though Jesus told James and John that the places in Heaven at His right hand and His left were not for Him to grant, but for the Father, He did grant their request for a place of honor in the kingdom of God.
The lesson here for all of us as believers is that when we bring such requests to God in prayer, it is the Spirit of God who motivates such prayers, and we should understand that our request for a place of honor in God’s kingdom will be answered and granted as He has ordained for each of us individually.
We should also understand that in granting our request, we will be required to drink from the cup and be baptized with the baptism of the Jesus’ sufferings.
May the Spirit of God work powerfully in our hearts each day putting pride to death in us. May we no longer think selfishly of ourselves before others, but may we, by the power of the Spirit, consider other people more important than ourselves and their needs more pressing than our own.
May the Spirit of God use us to powerfully reflect the humility and servant heart of our Saviour Jesus Christ so that people will be drawn to Him in repentance of sin, saving faith and daily obedience to the glory of God!!!
Father thank You for this day and forgive us for the times when we have lived foolishly, prayed selfishly, and have only been interested in our own desires. Lord let Your abundant blessings flow over my friend and family today. Lord help us to consider others before ourselves , and help us learn to become a servant of all, to Your praise and glory. Lord please forgive our selfishness, we confess that we want to be treated favorably and be blessed for following You. Lord give us the courage to follow no matter the cost in this life as we reach in faith for what is life indeed. Daddy we love You amen. Be a blessing. Love ya !
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