To Serve, Not To Be Served
A reading for Friday, April 3, 2020: Mark 10:32-45.
Stress brings out the best and the worst in people. Sometimes in the same person, the way they react to stress can be a combination of heroism and selfishness at the same time.
Jesus asks the disciples to step aside with him so that he could explain again what was about to happen. The Son of Man would be betrayed and killed. Not only that, says Jesus, it would be the religious authorities that would condemn him and that would give others license to abuse him and discredit all that he had done.
James and John immediately speak up, which is almost never a good thing when the disciples are involved. We want to stand with you, they say, on your left and your right. We learn quickly, with James and John it's a desire to be heroic in defending Jesus while at the same time selfish because they want the glory as they do it. The others are angry with them.
We live in a stressful time. In all of us there is heroism and selfishness. We want to help but we are also uncomfortable. We can help our neighbors, but don't want our help to cause more harm. How do we know what to do?
Maybe it helps to remember before we take any action the words of Jesus: "Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."
Lord, teach us to do the most good, setting our selfishness and even heroism aside if it's in the way, to serve you in all we say and do. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Stress brings out the best and the worst in people. Sometimes in the same person, the way they react to stress can be a combination of heroism and selfishness at the same time.
Jesus asks the disciples to step aside with him so that he could explain again what was about to happen. The Son of Man would be betrayed and killed. Not only that, says Jesus, it would be the religious authorities that would condemn him and that would give others license to abuse him and discredit all that he had done.
James and John immediately speak up, which is almost never a good thing when the disciples are involved. We want to stand with you, they say, on your left and your right. We learn quickly, with James and John it's a desire to be heroic in defending Jesus while at the same time selfish because they want the glory as they do it. The others are angry with them.
We live in a stressful time. In all of us there is heroism and selfishness. We want to help but we are also uncomfortable. We can help our neighbors, but don't want our help to cause more harm. How do we know what to do?
Maybe it helps to remember before we take any action the words of Jesus: "Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."
Lord, teach us to do the most good, setting our selfishness and even heroism aside if it's in the way, to serve you in all we say and do. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
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