ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (DECEMBER 30, 2012)

Getting Ahead of Ourselves

Mark 10:35-45


"...whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant."
(MATTHEW 20:26)

I wonder who came up with the idea to ask Jesus for a personal favor. Was it James and John, or was it their mother? All three come to Jesus, but mom does the talking. She asks for her two sons to have the seats of greatest honor next to Jesus in His coming Kingdom. You can almost see this Jewish mother taking it upon herself to secure a good future for her boys.

Clearly, the disciples still didn't understand the nature of the Kingdom of Christ even though, just before this request, Jesus predicted His death for the third time and described to His disciples how He would be handed over to the religious leaders, then mocked and flogged and crucified.

The desire to be first dates all the way back to the garden and it crops up in my own heart on a regular basis. Jesus reminded both the mother and her sons, "You don't know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" Jesus didn't come to serve but to be served and, according to Him, the greatest in His Kingdom is the servant of all.

INSIGHT
JESUS TAKES OUR PRIDE AND OUR DESIRE TO BE FIRST AND PATIENTLY TURNS US AWAY FROM OURSELVES TO SERVE OTHERS FIRST.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Numbers 31-32
Psalm 77
John 19

Mark 10:35-45
New International Version (NIV)
The Request of James and John
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.”
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.”
41 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.”


LEARNING TO LINGER [PART 1]
with Scotty Smith

It is easy to treat prayer as a way to get what we want. But there is a deeper meaning to prayer that is motivated by the Gospel. When we understand this, prayer turns into fellowship with the Father.