Mark 10:35-45 – A Servant Leader
Despite Jesus’ teachings on self-sacrifice and His prophecies of His own death, the disciples still misunderstand. Two of them, James and John, want to get positions of power in Jesus’ new kingdom. So, they come to Jesus and ask Him to give them what they want. Sometimes when we pray we forget to ask God for what He wants, and instead we ask for what we want. Jesus knows that if these brothers realised what they are asking for, they would keep quiet. Following Christ involves suffering and pain. Jesus wants James and John to understand that all who follow Him must pay this cost.
The other disciples are really annoyed that James and John get to Jesus first, but Jesus is going to explain to them again what it really means to be great in His kingdom. We see in these verses the high importance Jesus puts on serving others. The disciples should follow Jesus’ own example and care more for others than they do for themselves. They should pray and work to see those around them become Christians and those who are Christians become stronger.
Jesus describes His death as a ransom. He gives His life as the price to pay to God for the debts of sinful men and women. His life is given for others as a sacrifice. This is the ultimate example of serving others that we are to follow.
Questions
- What do James and John ask Jesus for?
- Why are the other disciples angry?
- How do we become great in God’s kingdom?
Prayer Points
- Pray that we would care about others more than ourselves.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.