Mark 10:41-45 - September 24, 2010

Mark 10: 41-45 “When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Has your boldness ever been offensive to anyone else? Verses 41-45 provide another insightful glimpse into the impact of our immaturity on one another. In the preceding verses James and John have boldly and presumptuously asked to be placed at the Lord’s right and left hand in eternity. With this request they have asked the Lord to elevate them above the other disciples. What follows in the reaction of the disciples is a clear picture of a common condition within the body of Christ; offense! How often the members of the body of Christ become offended when one among them begins to rise up in boldness and ask great things of God on a personal level. It is clear in the response of the disciples that they are all still struggling with the issue of forming their identity on a right foundation.

The offense of the disciples to the request of James and John exposes an underlying tension over the issues of prominence and position that existed within the hearts of many of the disciples. The request of James and John has created an undercurrent of indignation and division amongst the disciples and so Jesus calls them together to confront what has been exposed by this request. (Oh, how wonderful is the Lord’s ability to use our brokenness as His opportunity!)

Jesus begins to address the disciples by giving them an example of the negative within the context of leadership and unity. Jesus points to the leadership style of the Gentiles and their high officials as a model of bad behavior only to turn and say strongly “not so with you!” Once again demonstrating how He can address a multiplicity of issue from the context of one event Jesus now uses the request of the two as an opportunity to confront this root of competition and jealousy in the core of His leadership team.

Jesus effectively lays an entirely different foundation for the leadership style of His people. He completely shatters the paradigm for leadership and power that has been the foundation of the disciple’s lives and personal experience. “Do you want to be great, be the servant of all! Do you want to be first be a slave of everyone!” What a radical shift from what they had always seen and known. Serve one another in love!!!

Jesus has used one incident to confront multiple issues and much shaking is obviously working through the heart of His team as they face their wrong perspectives and the Holy Spirit convicts each one concerning their own need for change. As a capstone to this intense series of exchanges Jesus establishes the standard for them in a powerful way. Jesus points the disciples to the example of His own life and declares “even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." It is as if He is saying “watch me live it!” In this simple phrase Jesus establishes a new high watermark for the Christian life! Serve one another in love. Live sacrificially not selfishly! And with this one concept the world was changed!

Mark 10:35-40 - September 22, 2010

Mark 10:35-40 “Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask." 36 "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. 37 They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory." 38 "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"

39 "We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared."

This passage is so rich with its implications that it is worthy of a second look. In our last devotional the focus of Jesus’ initial response is to confront the fact that they disciples are asking for things without understanding the implications of what they are asking. It is important to note that He does not limit His response to this level of instruction. Jesus moves beyond correcting their theology of prayer to searching the depths of their hearts with a deeper light as He questions the foundation of their prayers. The question of Jesus in regard to their request effectively communicates the reality of our part in regard to answered prayer. The disciples pray this bold prayer and after confronting their ignorance He equally confronts their maturity.

Jesus asks the disciples “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” With this question Jesus communicates to the disciples the lesson that for God to answer many of the prayers we would pray there is a significant personal cost in its impact on our lives that we may not have considered. Jesus implies in this question “You want what I have, but will you pay the price I am going to pay!?”

This entire story is so profound for the twists that take place within it. One moment Jesus is training them in regard to prayer. The next he is searching their hearts to cause them to consider more deeply the things that they are asking for and the readiness of their hearts for more. Then suddenly the atmosphere of the encounter shifts to a momentary prophetic burst and a revelation of Jesus’ relationship with His Father! The disciples respond to Jesus’ inquiry with a confident affirmation of “we can” and a human response to this might compel us to say something like “the nerve of these guys!” But not Jesus! He takes their bold confidence and suddenly confirms that their prophetic destiny will indeed lead them down this same path of martyrdom that Christ Himself will embrace. This glimpse into their futures is seemingly an affirmation of their bold asking and a sobering prophetic glimpse into their destinies at the same time.

At no point does Jesus respond to their asking in such a way as to bring strong rebuke. Rather He seems to acknowledge and even honor their boldness while adjusting their hearts. It is such a gift to our hearts to have a right understanding of how God views our prayers. He does not condemn boldness. What He does do is train it so that it is rightly directed. Boldness in immaturity can be destructive, but boldness in faith and wisdom is a precious gift!

The conclusion of Jesus’ words to these men is an equally powerful moment of teaching the disciples both about the nature of prayer and the nature of Christ’s relationship with the Father. Jesus says to the two disciples “to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.” The two messages conveyed by the Lord in this response are clear and powerful. First Jesus is communicating that prayer must be according to the will of God and that there is an ordered plan in the eternal realm that we are praying into! Secondly, Jesus is communicating that the nature of His submission to the Father in Christ’s role as Immanuel is such that He Himself is submitted to this higher will and purpose and neither can nor will violate that submission by what He asks. Identify God’s will and purpose in your asking and lean the same submission to them that Christ embraced.

Mark 10:35-40 - September 20, 2010

Mark 10:35-40 “Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask." 36 "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. 37 They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory." 38 "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"

39 "We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared."

Mark 10:35-40 is a revealing look at the presumption that still had influence in the hearts of many of those who were closest to Jesus. Jesus has been speaking to them about sacrifice and reward. He has been encouraging them that the reward of the sacrifice they have made for Him will be great while at the same time seeking to present them with a sobering realization of the distance between the sacrifice that they have made and the one He has made and will make. It is in the midst of this context that James and John come to Jesus with one of the more seemingly arrogant requests found in scripture.

James and John come to the Lord in the midst of this setting and present a statement that is either incredibly bold or incredibly presumptive, “We want you to do whatever we ask.” This would seem like an intensely selfish request except for the instruction of Christ that He has given them concerning prayer on a number of occasions. In Mt. 18:19; 21:12, Mk. 11:24, Jn. 14:13 and other places Jesus has taught them that whatever they ask for in faith believing will be done for them. This bold request seems to be a reflection of a misinterpretation on their part rather than a reflection of complete arrogance.

Were this request completely offensive to the Lord it is filled with such self-interest that it would seem that He would have responded with a greater sense of correction and intensity. Instead, there is a more gentle correction about the way the Lord responds to this request. Where we might have strongly rebuked, Jesus instead re-directs their hearts with sobering reality! “You don’t know what you are asking!” How often this is the case in the prayer lives of the saints? We ask for so many things that have no foundation in the wisdom and will of God. Like the disciples, do we really know what we are asking?

The response of the Lord does not imply that they should not ask for great things. It is as if His answer is saying “YOU HAVE LEARNED TO ASK BIG. NOW LEARN TO ASK RIGHTLY!” This passage is a reflection of the need to not only pray with faith but to pray according to the will of God. Jesus does not rebuke presumption. He corrects their understanding of prayer instead! Jesus emphasizes the need for understanding in regard to our prayers in a powerful way in this passage. In Eph. 1:17 Paul develops this concept further in his letter to the Ephesians where He says “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” Prayer that is rooted in understanding the will and purpose of God is powerful prayer!