Mark 9:33-37 New Living Translation 33 After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?” 34 But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. 35 He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” 36 Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.” Pastor Larry would often say, the measure with which you love and serve others is the actually measure you love God. It would crush me when he said that because I know I can serve people more. John the Apostle said something similar, "If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?" 1John 4:20
It's easy to say we love God but He makes clear what loving Him looks like. The Disciples must have known that what they were arguing about was wrong because when Jesus asked them about it, they didn't answer. So Jesus sits down, which was the posture a rabbi or teacher had when he was about to teach, and flipped their thinking upside down by saying, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” With this he gave them a new target and no excuse. If they were to seek 1st place or greatness they only had to make themselves servants. Something easier said than done because who gets to decide who we will serve. Some only serve the poor because they need it more but neglect the rich as if they don't need Jesus as well. Let us be careful that we aren't prejudice in whom we show the love of God to. This wasn't only the thinking of their day but we are programmed today as well to seek out what is best for us. We seem to be an even more selfish people than we were before. We need to recognize our new target in Christ Jesus, not one who looks to be in first place but serves all and in doing so we become great in the eyes our Master whom we desire to serve.
1 Comment
Alan Cruz
11/18/2016 11:30:00 pm
Amen! I enjoyed this passage. I always find interesting how Jesus came to teach us things that seem flipped.
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