14.May.2009 God’s Views on Being “The Man.”
Mark 10: 35-45:
35) Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do us a favor.”
36) “What is your request?” he asked.
37) They replied, “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”
38) But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?”
39) “Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!” Then Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering.
40) But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. God has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”
41) When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant.
42) So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.
43) But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant,
44) and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.
45) For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
This story makes a strong point about the difference between God’s ways of thinking and man’s. James and John, despite having walked with Jesus and talked with Him and witnessed countless miracles, wanted to be exalted over the others. They wanted to be “the man!” so to speak. They had a desire to be above others and seen by all. They were thinking like the world. Jesus points out in verse 42 how the rulers of the world “lord it over their people and…flaunt their authority.” That is not how God wants His people to behave.
Jesus teaches that the way to be “the Man!” in God’s kingdom is to serve. He says quite clearly that “whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant.” The Greek word used here is translated to mean “One who executes the orders of another.” You have to be willing to execute the orders of another in order to become a leader. Jesus himself came to the world to serve and not to be served.
The concept of serving is hard for humans to grasp. We love to win! There is nothing wrong with winning. Paul says that we should play to win. However, when we begin to obsess over being number one, that is where the problems arise. We as humans love to be the center of attention. We crave the praise of the world. We seek out our own fulfillment by gaining praise. And that mindset infiltrates the church, bringing jealousy into the mix. People begin to fight amongst themselves because they feel their gifts are not being recognized and that it is unfair for such and such to be promoted and not them. Paul wrote extensively on infighting in the church. He strove to drive it out, for he knew the damage it would cause. The church thrives when people are willing to serve.
Serving the House of God has an eternal quality to it. If you want to be a part of something eternal, serve! Acts of service ripple through out eternity, bringing lasting changes to lives all over the world. By serving, we impart life into people and allow for God to move. Serving in kid’s, for instance, imparts God into these children, allowing them to be raised up as strong Christians who can take a deeper level of faith out into the world.
Character is another key to serving. The House of God does have a ranking to it, but position is not important if your character is flawed. You can have the greatest gift ever, but there is no point in using it if your heart is not right. What you harbor in your heart will determine your thoughts and actions. If you are in it for the recognition, then you are not in it the right way. A servant’s heart is the true drive of the church. Being real with you, 99% of what church does and how it succeeds is through the servants in the House. So few people actually get paid for what they do here. God wanted it to be like this. Serving without compensation grates against human nature. It breaks down the flesh and allows growth in the spirit.
In the end, how you serve is what Jesus looks at. He says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Jesus is looking for people will to lower themselves and serve without thought of recognition or gain. He wants people to take up their cross, lay down their flesh, and follow Him to new levels. A leader is a servant, and a servant is a leader.
Jesus is looking for servants.
