The Bible in a Year
“Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35 NIV)
On the road to Capernaum, Jesus told His disciples that He would be handed over, killed, and raised after three days. Mark says they were afraid to ask Him what He meant. They found another subject to talk about among themselves. By the time they reached the house, they had been arguing over which of them was the greatest. I can almost hear how quickly that conversation went quiet when Jesus asked what they had been discussing. I recognize something of myself in that silence. It is easy to call my concern a matter of fairness until I realize how much of it comes down to who got thanked, who was consulted, or whose name was mentioned first.
Jesus sat down, called the Twelve, and told them to become servants of all. The Greek phrase pantōn diakonos (πάντων διάκονος) puts the emphasis on the breadth of that service. I may be glad to help the people I know well or the people whose good opinion matters to me. The word all makes me think of the person I rarely talk to or the one whose need will interrupt my plans. Then Jesus made His point visible. He brought a child into the middle of the group and took the child in His arms. The disciples had been deciding which of them deserved the most attention. Jesus gave His attention to someone they could easily have overlooked. The child in Jesus’ arms shows us where a servant begins to look.
Theologian David Wells describes humility as a “freedom from our self.” I think of what happens when several people work hard on a project and someone else gets most of the credit. It can sting. And sometimes the work does need to be acknowledged, especially when others are overlooked. But I can ask myself a more searching question. How much of my joy in doing good depends on being seen doing it? When I can name someone else’s contribution with gladness, or finish a small task that will make tomorrow easier for someone who may never know I did it, I get a taste of the freedom Wells is describing.
A chapter later, James and John ask Jesus for the places at His right and left in glory. The old rivalry has surfaced again, and Jesus patiently brings the disciples back to His own example. He came to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). That word ransom takes us from the house in Capernaum to the cross. The Lord who asks us to put another person’s good ahead of our standing has already given Himself for us. We learn to serve by remembering how generously Christ has served us. His grace gives us room to face our rivalry honestly and begin again when it shows up.
Mark 9:33–37 shows what greatness means in the kingdom of God. Jesus calls His disciples to serve all and counts a welcome offered to a child in His name as a welcome offered to Him. As you read the passage today, picture the people you expect to see. Who is most likely to be passed over in that room, at that table, or in that conversation? Make room for that person. You might pull up a chair, ask what they think, or stay long enough to learn their name. Jesus gives us good reason to take that small welcome seriously.
Pastor Hogg
Take this question into The Journey today. Whom has Christ placed close enough for you to serve?
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