Let’s begin. Start with a prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what he wants to show you.

Read Mark 10:32-45 in your Bible. 

As you are reading, ask the questions of who, what, when, where, why, and how as well as any repeated words or phrases. We’ll go through these together. Look for a verse(s) that stand out to you the most. The one that grabs your attention. 

Now let’s go through these questions together.

Who? Who is speaking, who is being mentioned?

Jesus, disciples, specifically James & John

When?

Continuation from the previous verses. Keep on going.

Where?

On their way to Jerusalem.

What? What is happening in these verses?

To answer what and why and also how, I’m going to keep this short and simple because I will address it later. 

Jesus tells them again about his death while they were on their way to Jerusalem. Then right after, James and John ask if they could sit on either side of Jesus when they reach glory. And Jesus replies with what it’ll take and what it means to be great in the Kingdom of God.

Why? Why is this being mentioned? Why is this/will be happening?

Jesus wants them to be aware of what is coming very soon. Also he wants them to understand that their priorities are misaligned. 

How does this happen/take place?

He tries to explain things to them once again.

Repeated words or phrases?

Drink/cup, baptize (baptism), serve (servant)

Before we continue any further, what verse(s) stood out to you? 

My verse is 45. “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

What does this mean?

The first thing that I noticed in this passage of scriptures is that Jesus walked ahead of them. Knowing what was to come, he still walked toward the future suffering that He knew He was about to endure, not to mention death.

Jesus is telling the disciples again about his upcoming death and then resurrection. I believe this is the third time that Jesus is telling them about His death, and they seem to still not understand it. How many times does God have to repeat to us things He wants us to know and/or change in our lives. 

But then right after this important information, James and John are asking Jesus if they can have the prestigious position in heaven by sitting on Jesus’ left and right side. Of course Jesus tells them that it’s not his decision but God’s. But he does question them if they are able to “drink from the bitter cup” that he’s going to “drink”. Meaning are they able to endure the suffering that he’s going to experience. They said yes that they will, which they did with one being a martyr and the other went through severe persecuted. Since the disciples are once again arguing about who’s the greatest, Jesus then explains to all the disciples what it means to be great in the Kingdom of God. Jesus told them all that to be great in the Kingdom of God means to be a servant, to serve others.

What does this mean to me?

Here we are again. Back to who can be greater. I find it funny that Jesus just told the disciples that he is about to go through some horrible thing and is about to die, just to have two of them come back to Jesus asking to be made great by allowing them to sit beside Him in heaven. I’m sure Jesus was frustrated with this question. But we too can be like these disciples. Sometimes we can loose focus on what is really important. We all want to be “great” or want some type of feeling of significance and/or recognition. But to be great in God’s Kingdom does not necessarily mean to be great here on earth. It’s not that anyone is not allowed have fame or be well-known. What it means is to be a servant first. Putting others first above your own desires. Those I admire in ministry are the ones who have served first. They paid a price, made sacrifices, and humbled themselves all for God’s glory to reach others with the love of God. In turn, it was God who made them great. This can be very hard at times, because God can and will ask us to do something or sacrifice things in service to others with no return or appreciation or recognition from those whom we were asked to serve. Jesus is the ultimate example of what it means to serve others. He served others throughout His ministry here on earth and ultimately gave His life so that all could have the opportunity to be saved. Sometimes serving can be an awful and unpleasant job, and frankly some people can be rude and difficult to serve. But Jesus did it any way. If Jesus is our example to follow, then I too must learn to become servants first. 

What verse spoke out to you and what is God trying to show you through it? Write it out in your journal. Then say a prayer and have a conversation with God about it.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank you for being the perfect example of what it means to serve others. I have to repent and ask for forgiveness for all the times that I put my needs and my desires above others that you had asked me to serve first. Holy Spirit, I need your help in this area because at times it is difficult to serve those who don’t deserve to be served or those times when I’m tired or lazy and just don’t want to do it. Remind me Holy Spirit of this passage during those times. Help me be a better light in this world to bring others to the Father by serving. This I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.