Image from agnusday.org
Hear the devotional right here: https://bit.ly/3FBVqkH
35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." 36 And he said to them, "What is it you want me to do for you?" 37 And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." 38 But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" 39 They replied, "We are able." Then Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." 41 When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. 42 So Jesus called them and said to them, "You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 43 But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Mark 10: 35-45)
A blessed and happy Monday to you all, ConCafe Family, and may this be the day of great joy for you, dear Friend, is my prayer.
Most everyone enjoys special privileges, like good seats at special events, or free admission to places where you thought you might not get to enter; an interview for a job you dreamed about having, and the list goes on. Thinking back on my childhood, I had a connection with the box office lady at theTexas Theatre; she was my grandmother's employer and so if she was on duty, I would get in free to see the movie of the week on Saturday. That saved me ten cents which in those days could help me buy a candy bar and a Coke. Or a bag of fresh, hot popcorn for ten cents. If I had an extra nickel I could add it to the dime and splurge on a hot dog; usually I didn't like or trust theatre dogs. Years later in Houston, my father landed a Saturday and Sunday job directing cars to parking at Rice Stadium so I got to see free Rice University football games (Okay, they rarely won, but the bands I got to see! The Owl Band in and of itself was awesome and I was there the first or maybe only time they formed a fire hydrant when they played the Aggies theme and lifted their legs mocking their mascot and what it would do to a fire hydrant); and on Sundays the Oilers used Rice Stadium before the Astrodome was complete. Yes, I told you I was old!). And there are others, but the point is the request of these two disciples. They came to love and trust Jesus. They came to love His mission and purpose, and knew that great things were going to come as a result of HIs preaching, teaching, and miracles. Whatever it was, they wanted to be a part of it. You and I would be pleased just to be included in it, but these two, well, they had a grander dream. "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in Your glory."
It is here that Jesus hints at what's ahead for these two and the other ten. "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" In those terms, yes, most of us would say we would be able. To be fair, these two probably were thinking of the actual, physcial act of drinking from the same cup and being baptized in the same way of Jesus; and though they said yes, Jesus agreed and added that they would indeed be drinking from the same cup and would be baptized with the same baptism; but to sit at His right or left, that was something Jesus says it's already been decided as to who it would be.
The scene does not end there because the other ten found out what these two were asking, and they attack them. Jesus becomes the referee again, and he compares them to Gentiles. Which was not a good thing; for "they" like to lord their authority and act like tyrants, and not at all what Christ-followers do. Jesus' view was never a world view, HIs was a Kingdom-view; "Whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave to all." For some that does not make sense, and for others it makes all the sense in the world and beyond. The Christ-attitude is the one that seeks to serve others and to give, even one's life to save others. The Christ-attitude is the Servant Attitude that allowed Jesus to be the Messiah in the only areas of life that matters, the eternal.
So, the special seats for Christians really do not exist here except for those who serve. The best seats will be in Glory when Christ will invite us to sit at the Great Banquet and every seat will be a great seat. The worst seats will be the ones not at the table but at the "other place" for those, like the rich man, who only knew to choose himself and ignore the poor, like Lazarus. Ours is to seek the needy, the overlooked, the unseen, and the hungry, thirsty, naked, and lost; and all things will be added unto us.
PRAYER: God of all people, ingnite in us the fire of love and compassion, the kind that gets to work in seeking and serving. Forgive us the times we have served only ourselves and our needs; help us to bless those in need. May we truly have not only the mind of Christ, but His hands and feet to seek and serve those who need it most; in His powerful name we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Seek the perishing and rescue them!
Receive my blessings of love and peace,
Pastor Eradio
