Its not about you.....

Well several times in the Bible we hear of what Jesus does for people. We see His unselfishness, and compassion for all people. But sometimes we get the actual dose of reality with His disciples. In Mark 10:33-45, something happens that happens to all of us in our walk with God: It becomes about us.

Let's go:

Mark10:33-45

The Request- Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask.
What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.
They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory."

Now this has been preached before and James and John get blasted for even thinking this. Now I think that the request was normal/human/and actually quite noble. They were in awe of the Christ and wanted to be near him as all of us would. This request isn't out of the ordinary, but the timing is!!
IN the previous verses Jesus had just predicted his passion and impending death. Though their request was noble it was also selfish, and ill-timed. Look at the words they used...."we want.....for us....one of us..." James and John both knew Jesus was going to be in His glory, but they were focused on their positioning and what THEY could recieve.

Vs. 38-39
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?"
"We can," they answered. Jesus said to them,

Basically Jesus is telling them that you dont know what you are talking about and are not thinking about what you are saying or asking.
Jesus continues with this description: Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"

These two bold statements are referring to the same subject: suffering and death. The drink the cup I drink is an old Jewish expression that mean't " to share someone's fate". The baptism refers to His death...reference (Luke 12:50-"But I have a baptism to undergo and how distressed I am until it is completed.") In completion....He is asking can James and John share in His fate, and in His death???

Vs. 39-40
You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 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."

In fact they will share his fate and death as we find out later in Acts 12:2 that James is beheaded....John later dies after several years of torture and of old age at Patmos. Jesus also explains that positions of honor in the kingdom are not simply just given out, but earned. WIll McDonald (Christian scholar) puts it perfectly, " Here admission to the kingdom is by grace through faith but position in the kingdom will be determined by faithfulness to Christ."
This would explain Jesus saying its not for him to grant ( or just give out) but it is for those whom they have prepared.....faithfulness to God.

Vs. 41-45
When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.

-This part really displays the humaness of these disciples.....they werent holy than thou men, they argued, were brash, loud, and when James and John made this request and it upset the others, because I am sure they wanted to be on Christ's left and right in glory.

42Jesus 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.

-Now Jesus' examples come out...He explains that rulers of the world, pagan kings lord over their subjects and followers, and are not concerned for their well being but focus on themselves.


43Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 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."

-But Jesus says not with you (disciples) if you truly want to become great, you must serve others, just as the Son of Man was put on this earth to serve. He gave His life as a ransom, He taught, He loved!!

THE POINT:

As Christians, and as humans we tend to be focused on ourselves. James and John were more worried about what they could get rather than what they could do......its not about you, its about Christ and serving others. See we begin with Christ, serving Him and as an example (John 13:15, Philipians 3:17) of His love and His eternal sacrifice we serve others in the same way He served us.

Be Blessed.