Mark 10: 45 "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve...."

Jesus spoke these words after James and John came to Him and asked that they be granted seats at His right and left in His glory.  Of course this made the other ten apostles angry.  So here we are; three years into Jesus ministry, approaching Jerusalem where Jesus faces torture and death, and He needs to explain to those who will carry on His ministry how to "lead". 

First I see that he did not scold His disciples.  He did not get angry with James and John for their pride.  He did not point out the jealousy of the other ten.  He used this conflict to point to Himself and the contrast between Him and the rulers of the world...(42-44) "....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.  But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all."

After three years of ministry with the disciples, Jesus still had to point to His ministry as serving others and His Father, by giving His life as "a ransom for many".  His purpose was not to lord over the people, but to be their slave; to do for them what they could not do for themselves. 

Jesus' church was born and has lived because believers serve.  Christ did not establish the church as an institution...the Christian Church, but as a body of believers...Christians!  His greatness has not been measured by what people have done for Him, but what people have done for others because of His love being manifested in them by His Spirit.  Jesus' church is full of servants, not leaders.  As His Church, we need to be responding to His leading, His Spirit, and not looking for direction from leaders.  If you think about taking food to a neighbor...do it!  If you are passing a nursing home and you remember that a church member is there, stop and say hello!    If you think about a troubled friend, pause and pray!   That  Still Small Voice is calling us to serve.

Matthew 16...."Blessed are you Simon"...."Get behind me, Satan."

Reading in Matthew 16 yesterday we came across familiar scripture that revealed truths about our human condition that I had not considered before.  Quite frankly, I have always consider my human condition as weak and probably of little use to God.  But in Matthew 16: 15-19 Jesus shows us that, in our human condition, we can receive, share, and do for God just as Jesus did in His human condition.  When Jesus asked the disciples who he was, Peter responded saying that he was the Messiah.  Jesus blessed Peter and said, "...flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven."  He went on to tell Peter that on this rock he would build His church.  This rock was God's word spoken by man for man.  Jesus, being fully human, and very consistent to point out to his followers that his works and words were from His Father, understood that humanity, when connected to God by His Spirit, is the connection God has with us.

Ironically, within a few verses, Jesus also shows us the human condition when His Spirit is not the voice we follow.  In Matthew 16: 21-23, when Jesus is telling the disciples about the suffering and death he would face, Peter rebuked Jesus saying, "God forbid it, Lord."  Jesus turned and said to Peter saying, "Get behind me Satan!  You are a stumbling block to me, for you are  setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."  A couple of things stand out. First Jesus said that he was a stumbling block to Him...Peter was introducing doubt and temptation to Jesus, which Jesus did not want.  In His human condition, Jesus knew that temptation was always going to be used to  separate Him from His Father.  Second, Jesus points to Satan as the source of this temptation and ordered Satan to be behind Him where he could not come between Him and God.  Jesus was not calling Peter, Satan; but he was telling Peter that he was not speaking words from God (as he did in  the earlier verses) but words from Satan.  In our human condition, our natural tendency is to set our minds on human things.  But Jesus admonishes Peter for not setting his mind on divine things.  In our humanity we have the power to decide where we will set our minds.  Jesus set His mind on the Father and on divine things and that is what he wants us to set our minds on.  Satan will use the human things to separate us from God in order that we can become stumbling blocks for others.  The divine things...God's Word, God's Love, God's Grace, God's Forgiveness, God's Son are the things we need to set our minds on and share with humanity.

“No one is good—except God alone."

Luke 18:19

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁹ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone."

I am so guilty of considering myself as a good person...better than many...better than I used to be...I could be worse.  Yet Jesus did not have these opinions of himself, so why should I?  I want people to look at me and see me as a good person; someone they respect, admire, trust, enjoy, and want to be around.  I want to project myself as "good".

This high opinion of myself is evident in my prayer life.  I approach God with gratitude for how he has blessed me and made me a better person and then I  proceed to tell God how he can be a "good god" by doing good things like healing, forgiving, supplying, helping, and fixing.  I petition God in prayer as if Love, Goodness, Righteousness, Mercy, and Grace were not His Nature.  God, by His nature Loves beyond measure, Forgives Mercifully and Graciously, Heals perfectly, and Supplies in abundance.  In prayer, I am asking God to be who He already is.

I need to remember and go to God in prayer in the full realization of His Goodness.  By His Spirit leading me in prayer, my petitions will become praises and His nature will become my own.  I will want  what He wants.  I will see the healing that glorifies Him.  I will be thankful for the abundance of His supply.  I will receive the forgiveness that he so graciously offers.  I will love as he loves; loving people who seem unlovable and those who have hurt me.  I will be joyful, generous, patient, kind, peace loving, faithful, gentle, and have self-control (reject temptation).  (Galatians 5: 22-23...Fruit of the Spirit)

As I grow closer to God through prayer...seeking and desiring to be more Like Christ...I will want people to see His nature and not my own when they look at me.  That is what Jesus showed the world when He came and died and that is what He has entrusted to us, His followers and believers.