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Mark 10:32–45 (ESV)
32 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33 saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”
35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38 Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 And they said to him, “We are able.” And 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, 40 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.” 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
As I write to you this morning, I’m in the process of preparing to take several days of vacation and study leave. What’s always interesting to me is the amount of work that must be done for a person or for a family to go on vacation. First, you must get everything in order for your vacation such as transportation, lodging, activities, packing, food. You also need to get all your ducks lined up at work; tying off loose ends, lining up people to take care of things in your absence, and if you are a bit of a workaholic like me, that also means having things ready and prepared for your return.
But it’s all worth it if you're headed to a destination that you love or you’re heading out on a new adventure to places unknown. There’s always a sense of joyful anticipation for a few days of getting away from it all.
Joyful anticipation is not the mood as Jesus and the disciples are headed to Jerusalem. Here, Jesus is resolute and determined as they travel. This trip to Jerusalem starts off on a somber note. It begins with the third time that Jesus plainly speaks about His death and resurrection. Jesus had told the disciples that the time was coming, He is going to Jerusalem and when He gets there, He will be condemned to die a terrible death…, but on the third day, He will rise.
It’s a little strange that these warnings from Jesus don’t seem to register with the disciples and as we read on, we understand why. Apparently, the disciples think that Jesus is speaking figuratively and that Jesus will win the kind of victory that they imagine. Jesus will be victorious but not in the way that the disciples picture it. Jesus’ victory will look totally different from what the disciples envision, and it will turn the world upside down.
And that’s reinforced in what happens next.
It all begins with the request from James and John. In Matthew’s Gospel we’re told that the request comes from their mother, but don’t miss the powerful impact of what Jesus says to the disciples in the teaching moment that follows. Jesus’ call for all His disciples (including us) completely turns the world’s power structures upside down and calls into question every human system in the world, as well as human ideas of pride and glory.
This was dangerous, dangerous stuff, and the disciples still didn’t get what Jesus has been driving at all this time. By the way, it wasn’t just James and John who didn’t get it, it was all of the disciples. We’re told that the other ten disciples are indignant with James and John over their request. That’s not because they were above such earthly thoughts, no, they were probably upset that James and John beat them to it. You see, the disciples were still thinking of earthly things, earthly power structures, earthly definitions of greatness, and leadership. Jesus corrected them… again, and tells them that greatness is serving, something Jesus had been living out and would live out in the ultimate act of service and obedience through His death on the cross.
The key verse for the Gospel of Mark is found here in verse 45 and it defines the whole Gospel. It’s a call to Jesus' disciples to follow in His footsteps, it’s our call as missional disciples of Jesus as well. I’ve got to tell you, it’s a lot harder to serve others than it is to be great according to the world’s standards. It’s about coming alongside people, loving them when we think they are unlovable, meeting them in the mess, and helping them grow in faith and maturity. It’s a lengthy process, but it’s a process that lifts and builds people up and leaves a legacy that lasts as they see Christ in us and as they come to know, love, and follow Jesus for themselves.
It's not for the faint of heart because I can tell you, you will grow weary at times of this kind of work, you will be tempted to give up, and you may in fact write some people off in a moment of frustration. It’s much easier and simpler to lead from the top-down rather than to do the hard work of lifting others up.
Tying it all back to the big picture, we must remember that all of this is about our call as missional disciples of Jesus. We’re called to follow Jesus. Do we truly comprehend what Jesus was doing at this point? He was going to Jerusalem and giving His life as a ransom for many and in the process, He turned the world’s values and power systems completely upside down. We can’t say yes to Jesus and not follow where He leads.
God bless you and know that you are constantly in my prayers!
Scott
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