“Jesus called them over and said to them, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and their men of high positions exercise power over them. But it must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life- a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42-45)
The more I read the Bible and reflect on the teaching, the more I realize how diametrically opposite it is to the culture in the world.
The passage this morning was about James and John, two of the 3 disciples in Jesus’ inner circle who request that they are seated on the right and left side of Jesus’ glory. They had left everything behind to follow Him. They wanted to know what He would do in return for what they had done for Him. The other disciples were indignant at the two brothers when they heard this. Why? Well, these were coveted positions. They wanted to share the glory with God. They wanted to have some power. To dominate. They wanted some recognition. Some fame. They were in His inner circle, after all. This causes the other 10 disciples to be greatly incensed. They must have been a bit jealous that Jesus took these 3 separately to witness many things and to participate in some miracles that they did not get to see nor experience. And then like adding fuel to the fire, now two from the inner circle also wanted to be recognized in positions of honor.
Jesus calls all the disciples (not just James and John) and clarifies what it means to believe in Him. To lead is not to dominate or exercise power over others. But to serve. Sacrificially. Without any strings attached.
I was reading in today’s passage about how even the Lord’s Prayer begins with “our Father in Heaven”. It does not begin with “My Father in Heaven”. There is a shifting of focus. From self to others. From selfish motives to sacrifice. From demanding honor to serving others. From self-centeredness to other-centeredness. From asking “what is in this for me” to seeking “how can I help the others?”
God calls us to seek to serve others. Not to glorify ourselves. Or to seek attention, fame, prestige, honor and recognition. Even Jesus, who is the Son of God, came to serve and to sacrificially give of Himself. The Bible calls us to renounce “the self”. There is no focus on I, me, myself… This is not a faith of “I am a privileged person since I have decided to follow Jesus and therefore, I have Heaven and eternal life as a promise and I will escape Hell.” No, we are saved by grace (not because we deserve but because He is able!) We are saved not to save ourselves from Hell. We are saved so we may, with selfless service put the needs of others before ourselves and selflessly and sacrificially give of ourselves- with willingness, and to merge into God’s greater plan for the whole.
Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit [through factional motives, or strife], but with [an attitude of] humility [being neither arrogant nor self-righteous], regard others as more important than yourselves. 4 Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”
I would like you to reflect today on areas you have been placed, and the roles you undertake in those areas. Perhaps you are a mom of children. How can you serve those little lives entrusted to you? Or maybe you are a spouse-a wife or a husband. How can you serve each other and put the interests of your better half over yours? Or maybe you are in a position of authority and influence in your workplace: how do you serve those in your team? What can you begin to do today onwards that puts the interests of others above your own? Or maybe you are in a team: how can you best serve others within your team- sacrificially and giving of yourself.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I see that far too often, I tend to protect myself and keep my interests above that of those around me. Yet You are calling me today to shift my focus from ‘inward’ to ‘outward’. Help me, wherever I am today, in whatever capacity I am called to serve and whoever I encounter, that I will seek to selflessly serve and give of myself sacrificially. Teach me and show me, as I meditate upon Your Word, how to be humble and to put the interests of others above that of my own. In Jesus’ Name, amen.