Fine Print: Serve Sacrificially — Monday
Mark 10:35
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” (NIV)
The disciples James and John start Jesus off with a bold proposition in today’s verse. Their boldness is matched only by their level of audacity. I’ve got to give them credit—they really went after it here. Asking Jesus to do whatever they ask is about as assertive as it could possibly get. Then a few verses later, we learn that their request is to sit at Jesus’ right and left (the places of power) when He comes into His Kingdom.
This week, we are going to focus on where this story goes. From this opening statement, things descend into a bit of chaos amongst the disciples. It’s not the disciples' finest collective moment, but it does result in some of Jesus’ finest teaching.
At the center of this week’s devotional study is the problem we all face called selfishness. It’s putting ourselves above others, and unfortunately, it’s been a problem for mankind since the beginning of time. Beginning in infancy, we have this gravitational force pulling us toward our own self-interest. As natural as this instinct seems to be, it’s highly corrosive to our inner need for peace and joy.
A pattern emerges around self-interest: The more selfish we are, the more miserable we become; the more miserable we are, the more selfish we become.
For James and John, it’s wise to pursue a life in the Kingdom that Jesus came to establish. It’s unwise, however, to pursue positions that aren’t theirs to occupy nor Jesus’ to hand out. As we’ll learn this week, the best pursuit in life is a downward trajectory, not an upward one. Given this direction, let’s start this morning on our knees asking Jesus to remove pride from our hearts and give us eyes to see how we can serve others today.
Monday’s Reflection
Pray this prayer today: Father, remove pride from my heart and show me how I can serve others today. Amen.
