Just Say Yes
Read Mark 10:35-45.
Have you ever had someone come up to you and say, "Whatever I ask you, just say yes, okay?" Often it's a child, perhaps one of yours, or a grandchild. Sometimes it's an adult. But either way, they have a plan and want support. It's sort of cute when kids do it, but I wonder if Jesus had a smile on his face when two of his disciples—adult grown men—tried that on him. "Teacher," they say, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask." Just say yes, Jesus, because we've got it all figured out already. We're saving you the trouble of having to figure it out.
What they want are the positions of power and authority in whatever kingdom Jesus has come to set up. They've heard him talk about a kingdom, and every kingdom they know of has the number one and number two positions, the most important persons, seated right next to the king. I wonder if they had argued amongst themselves about who was going to be number one and who was going to be number two. If they did, they apparently couldn't come to a decision, because that's the one thing they leave up to Jesus in this request. As long as they were both there, seated at his right and his left, life would be grand. (But I bet they both still wanted to be "number one.")
Is it any wonder Mark says the other ten disciples were "indignant" when they learned of James and John's request? Wouldn't you be? These two just attempted an end run around you in the pursuit of power and position. Granted, Jesus cut them off, but still...
Jesus, actually, does not say yes to their request. Instead, he has something else in mind, something the disciples are all expected to say yes to. "Your calling is not about power and authority," Jesus says. "Your calling is to serve. To serve all. To serve humankind. You're to follow my example, and I came to serve." Jesus invites these disciples, for whom life is all about power and authority (and who seem to have agreed to follow Jesus initially so that they could have some sort of power), to say "yes" to the God who calls them to be servants of all, to be permanently on the underside of life.
Mark does not tell us how the disciples reacted to this instruction, this invitation to a different kind of yes. My guess is they didn't take it well, but they must have eventually got it. If scholars are correct, Mark's Gospel is probably written down out of the preaching of Peter, so it's likely this is a story Peter told over and over and over again. Perhaps he told it to remind himself of his calling, and of the moment when he was invited, along with the rest, to say yes to servanthood. This was his calling; this is ours as well.
Will you say yes?
Have you ever had someone come up to you and say, "Whatever I ask you, just say yes, okay?" Often it's a child, perhaps one of yours, or a grandchild. Sometimes it's an adult. But either way, they have a plan and want support. It's sort of cute when kids do it, but I wonder if Jesus had a smile on his face when two of his disciples—adult grown men—tried that on him. "Teacher," they say, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask." Just say yes, Jesus, because we've got it all figured out already. We're saving you the trouble of having to figure it out.
What they want are the positions of power and authority in whatever kingdom Jesus has come to set up. They've heard him talk about a kingdom, and every kingdom they know of has the number one and number two positions, the most important persons, seated right next to the king. I wonder if they had argued amongst themselves about who was going to be number one and who was going to be number two. If they did, they apparently couldn't come to a decision, because that's the one thing they leave up to Jesus in this request. As long as they were both there, seated at his right and his left, life would be grand. (But I bet they both still wanted to be "number one.")
Is it any wonder Mark says the other ten disciples were "indignant" when they learned of James and John's request? Wouldn't you be? These two just attempted an end run around you in the pursuit of power and position. Granted, Jesus cut them off, but still...
Jesus, actually, does not say yes to their request. Instead, he has something else in mind, something the disciples are all expected to say yes to. "Your calling is not about power and authority," Jesus says. "Your calling is to serve. To serve all. To serve humankind. You're to follow my example, and I came to serve." Jesus invites these disciples, for whom life is all about power and authority (and who seem to have agreed to follow Jesus initially so that they could have some sort of power), to say "yes" to the God who calls them to be servants of all, to be permanently on the underside of life.
Mark does not tell us how the disciples reacted to this instruction, this invitation to a different kind of yes. My guess is they didn't take it well, but they must have eventually got it. If scholars are correct, Mark's Gospel is probably written down out of the preaching of Peter, so it's likely this is a story Peter told over and over and over again. Perhaps he told it to remind himself of his calling, and of the moment when he was invited, along with the rest, to say yes to servanthood. This was his calling; this is ours as well.
Will you say yes?
It is so hard in this world to be content in serving. The world cries out to be the best, look to your future (or present), get rich and famous...but we are His and He is the One we want to be famous no matter what He calls us to do. Great post!
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