Mark lesson 24
Read Mark 10:32-45 – https://www.bible.com/bible/59/mrk.10.esv
Mark 10:32-45
For the third time, Jesus warned the disciples about what was going to
happen when they got to Jerusalem. He gave a detailed description of the
suffering He would experience there. Meanwhile, James and John were
imagining a different situation. They told Jesus that they wanted to sit
at Jesus' right and left hand. That is, they wanted the chief positions
in His administration. Jesus responded by asking if they could drink
the cup He was going to drink or be baptized with His baptism, and they
said they could. Jesus was referring to His sufferings, which were often
spoken of as a cup of agony that He would have to drink (see Mark
14:36) and as a baptism (immersion) in pain (see Luke 12:50). They had
no what Jesus really meant, but they enthusiastically accepted the
challenge. Jesus then replied that He did not have the authority to
grant their request, because He was not the one who assigned the
positions of honor in the kingdom.
The other disciples were upset that James and John had gotten the jump on them. They too coveted the highest positions, and resented the fact that the sons of Zebedee had requested them first. Jesus then explained what greatness in the kingdom really meant. He said that in human affairs, whether government or business, the greatest have the most authority. But, He explained, in the kingdom of God, the greatest is the one who humbles himself most and serves most. He pointed to Himself as the model. He had not come to be served, but to serve and to offer Himself as a sacrifice for others.
Note -‐-‐ True greatness: We still desperately need these lessons of Jesus. Many, even in religion, are seeking to be great by trying to gain honor, glory and power. Churches are infested with “leaders” who love attention, and who vie for positions of maximum control and authority. We should be ashamed. Jesus was born in a stable outside a small town. He lived His life as a village carpenter and traveling preacher. He gathered neither riches nor worldly power. Yet, today, many of His self-‐proclaimed followers seek and promise the very things He rejected. It is hard to imagine that Jesus would feel at home in their costly cathedrals, or to believe that He would preach the gospels of “health and wealth" so popular today. Jesus said the way to true greatness was the road of service and suffering.
1. What did James and John want Jesus to do for them? Answer: They
wanted to sit one at Jesus' _____ and the other at His _____ in His
glory (kingdom).
2. According to Jesus, how can you become great in the kingdom? a)
attend the biggest church with the most beautiful building, b) give lots
of money, c) take a high position of authority in the church, d) humble
yourself and serve others. Answer: _____