TEXT: Mark 10:35-45

SUBJECT: Meeting the Lord #12: James and John

For the last few months, we've studied people who met the Lord in Mark's Gospel. Most of them were meeting Him for the first time. The leper of Capernaum, for instance, the Gadarene demoniac, the Syrophoncian mother, and so on. But the men who met Him this day already knew Him; knew Him well, you would think. Yet their words and actions proved the contrary: they didn't know Him at all.

Do you? Do I? We do, only insofar as we learn the lesson of this story. I pray God will teach it to us, for Christ's sake. Amen.

The story begins with three men in conversation. James and John have come to the Lord seeking a favor. What do they want? They want the top places in His kingdom. They believe He's about to be crowned, and they're eager to be at "His right hand and at His left" when He is.

Are they up to it? James and John think so; but that's because they have no idea of what ruling with Christ requires. It demands "drinking the cup" of agony and being "baptized with a baptism" of pain. "Can you do that?" He wants to know. Brimming with confidence, they reply, "We can".

Are they right? In time, they will suffer for Christ's sake; but not now. When "The Shepherd is smitten, the sheep [must] be scattered"--including James and John.

As for the Kingdom, our Lord defers to the will of God. Its ranks are not His to give, but belong to "Those for whom they were prepared". Maybe James and John; maybe others. In either case, it's not their business to know and our Lord's not telling.

The other disciples are not in the conversation, but they are listening with keen interest. And what they hear, they don't like! They are "greatly displeased" with James and John. Disgusted and angry!

Do you know why? Mark doesn't tell us, but Matthew does. In 18:1, we find the whole lot of them arguing "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" The Apostles didn't like James and John asking for the top place in the Kingdom because each one knew that place was reserved for...himself!

It wasn't principle that moved them; it was ambition.

What does the Lord think of that? He doesn't like. What He says scalds the lust for position in God's Kingdom. He says it is worthy of the Gentiles. To the Hebrew mind, "Gentile" stood for everything unclean--idols, sodomy, oppression, and more. It recalled people like Pharaoh, Jezebel, and Hamaan.

"When you want to be Number One, you're thinking like the Gentiles"--people who don't know God and don't savor His ways. What a slap in the face!

Note carefully: The Apostles were not trying to carve out empires for themselves; no! They wanted power to rule for Christ; they craved power to do good to men. Theirs was a holy ambition! Yet our Lord calls it "Gentile".

He goes on to say God's Kingdom is the opposite of Man's. The Gentiles crave power; the disciples must renounce it. The Gentiles rule; the disciples must serve.

To prove His case He points to the Ruler of God's Kingdom. Who is it? It is "the Son of Man"--Jesus Christ. How does He handle the affairs of state? Not by "being served, but by serving". The King takes off His crown and becomes a slave. He gives His all--"His life, a ransom for many".

That's the story.

The Meaning.

What does it mean?

Some have used it to teach the doctrine of atonement. Our Lord gave His life "a ransom for many". Thank God for that doctrine! If our Lord had not ransomed us at the cost of His own life, we would be lost. Hopelessly lost. The ransom He paid is precious to every believing soul.

But that's not why the story is in the Bible. It is here for a very different reason. What is it? V.44 is the key: "Whoever desires to be first shall be the slave of all".

What does this mean? It means The disciples of Christ must be ambitious...to serve.

What a reversal! Of all the things you've longed for in life, have you ever longed to be a slave? Are your fantasies of being "the low man on the totem pole"? Do you dream of being nothing?

If not, you haven't met the Lord. Like James and John you may be a saved person, you've entirely missed the nature of His Kingdom. If the King is a servant, the servants must be too!

How is this applied to our lives? In every way.

Let's begin with the personal. By nature, I'm as proud as Napoleon. And so are you! The wimp who never speaks up in a meeting, would like nothing better than to rule it with a rod of iron! Everyone is that way; its called "original sin"--the desire to be "as God". As believers in Christ, we must mortify personal ambition. How do we do that? First, by recognizing it for what it is. What is it? Not dignity or self-esteem, it is lust! Watch against it; pray against it; fast against it; confess it to God and plead for His help. Recruit the brethren, too. They know how you feel; they'll pray for you!

Let's go on marriage. What do you and your spouse fight about? Well, a lot of things--the kids, money, sex, who does the laundry, and a million things more. "So many fights. So little time!" But, you know, what you're really fighting about is power: Who's got it and who doesn't. Who's going to have his way and who's going to give in. There is no "Gentile way" of solving the problem. There is, however a way; it is our Lord's way. Here's an argument you can win every time: "Listen here Man/Woman! Around here, I'm the Servant!" If you say that sincerely, I promise you--you'll get your way!

What about the children? Surely you must rule them, no? No! The Bible doesn't command parents to rule their children; it tells us to "bring them up in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord". This means to rear them in the Lord's way--by example and with tenderness and understanding. This is the opposite of that heavy-hand we so often seen in families where fathers bully their little ones and are so proud of their obedience. Ruling with an Iron Will "provokes to wrath" a thing forbidden by Jesus Christ. Lead them? Of course! But in patience and love and in the "Gentleness of Christ".

In Church, pastors must not be "lords" over the people of Christ. Members must not submit to their domineering ways! You'd think the freeborn sons of God would resent authoritarian leadership. But many do not! Some even admire it. This is no new thing. Paul was dismayed by the Corinthians who disliked his gentleness and preferred the men who "Exalted themselves, brought them into bondage, devoured them, robbed them blind , and punched them in the face!" (cf. II Corinthians 11).

In all our relationships, we're to give up all "Selfish ambition and conceit" and put on "lowliness of mind" which results in "esteeming others better than yourself". How do we do this? Only by meditating deeply on the example of Jesus Christ, the One who "being in the form of God...made Himself of no reputation".

This is the challenge. Are we up to it? No we're not! Not you; not me; not anyone. That's why we must turn to Christ and plead for His grace to humble us and to make us love others more than we love ourselves. "With man this is impossible. But with God, all things are possible".

Plead, yes. But not just that. We must turn from our selfish ways and practice our Lord's way. Start at home. Go home today and apologize to your family for being so full of yourself! And try, with the power God gives you, to serve them with meekness. Go to a brother or sister you've snubbed in the past and confess your wrong! And make up for it by helping in ways he needs--even if it's not the help you like to give. Go to your neighbors whom you have ignored or despised and ask if you can help them. Do it in a natural way with the goal of loving them and helping them to see Christ in you.

Long ago, James and John met the Lord. They didn't meet the Man they thought He was or hoped He would be. They met a Servant, the kind of Man who would wash dirty feet and "lay down His life for His friends". At the time, they were offended; later, though, they were grateful.

You will be too, if only you meet Him. Will you? Come to Him now, and learn His way, for He is "meek and lowly in heart. And you will find rest for your soul".

God give you the grace. For Christ's sake. Amen.