Seeking Greatness
Mark 10:32-45
Imagine agreeing to something without knowing what you just agreed to.
Photo by Mohammed Ibrahim on Unsplash
They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles; they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again.” James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” - Mark 10:32-45
James and John agreed to be baptized into what Jesus was baptized into and to drink from the same cup, thinking it would gain them what they sought, only to find that Jesus couldn’t grant what they wanted.
The Rolling Stones’ song about not getting what you want comes to mind here.
What James and John learned from Jesus was a hard lesson. When we seek glory, we often lose sight of what is truly important.
The true path to greatness is one of service to all.
I find it surprising that the brothers have been with Jesus for three years and they still haven’t learned this lesson from the one who epitomizes the role of a servant leader.
The expectation that the Messiah would be a king in the traditional sense remains with the apostles, even though Jesus has told them over and over again that he is not like other kings.
I guess we have a hard time getting an image out of our heads once we’ve planted it there.
And what about us? What do we expect for ourselves in God’s kingdom?
When we choose the humble path, the Holy Spirit of God guides us to greatness. It is not greatness in the sense of being praised or lauded over, but greatness that is from within.
Our life purpose is to be the person God knows we can be. That can be a tall order. We have no way of knowing our own potential.
But we can make the assumption that it is something truly great.
I know many who fear taking a risk. They won’t step out, believing they don’t have what it takes to do the job. So, they do nothing. They remain stuck in their own self-perceived lack of ability.
But Jesus tells us that we can do all things through Him, and that in God all things are possible, so why do we hesitate?
I believe everyone has unlimited potential. We are all capable of doing amazing things. The only thing holding us back is us.
James and John limited their view of who and what they could be, and Jesus set them right. The others became angry with the brothers, but what they should have done was give it more thought.
What is it Jesus is telling me I can be?
We may just be surprised at how great life can be.
More to come...