First

Mark 10:35-45 (The Message)

James and John, Zebedee's sons, came up to him. "Teacher, we have something we want you to do for us."

"What is it? I'll see what I can do."

"Arrange it," they said, "so that we will be awarded the highest places of honor in your glory—one of us at your right, the other at your left."

Jesus said, "You have no idea what you're asking. Are you capable of drinking the cup I drink, of being baptized in the baptism I'm about to be plunged into?"

"Sure," they said. "Why not?"

Jesus said, "Come to think of it, you will drink the cup I drink, and be baptized in my baptism. But as to awarding places of honor, that's not my business. There are other arrangements for that."

When the other ten heard of this conversation, they lost their tempers with James and John.

Jesus got them together to settle things down.

"You've observed how godless rulers throw their weight around," he said, "and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads.

It's not going to be that way with you.

Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage."

Jesus came to pour himself out in service to the world.

His followers are called to do the same.

Christian faith and practice follows a model which stands in opposition to the culture that surrounds us.

"Power" isn't the goal. Neither is influence, control, or fame.

The goal is voluntary servitude. That's the basis of real community.

How could Jesus limit himself as he did? How could he who was all-powerful choose to stoop and wash the feet of his stiff-necked disciples?

Because he loves us that much.

Because God, in Jesus Christ, honors that which he has made.

What if we honored each other in that way as well? Could we form a wonderful kind of counter-cultural community?

No, it's not easy. Not at all.

Everybody knows those people who can "punch their buttons." When buttons get punched, serving one another is usually about the last thing on our minds.

Even in the scripture above, Jesus had to break up a fight among his disciples.

That's why it's important to sometimes hear what Jesus tells us:

"It's not going to be that way with you."

May it be so among us.

Prayer: We sometimes struggle for your attention, hoping that you will seat us in the place of honor ahead of others. Help us to learn Jesus teaching...that the first will be last, and anyone who would be great must first learn to love.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end, Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: I Corinthians 1:10-17