Friday, March 26
Mark 10:35-40
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask."
"What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.
They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory."
"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"
"We can," they answered.
Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with,
but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared."
Oh, the boldness and arrogance of James and John to ask Jesus to do whatever they ask. But, who’s asking whom? Where did they get such an idea?
Far too often we think we know the answer, we think we know someone so well, or we think we know God so well.
How humbling it is to be reminded in this passage that we have little to no idea.
No matter. Jesus responds.
He asks.
He listens.
He cares.
He is gentle.
He is wise.
He is truthful.
He is the Servant.
He knows we are merely children who earnestly want to be with Him.
He proceeds to the cross to drink His cup.
He dies.
He loves you.
He lives in glory.
We are selfish.
We want glory.
We are unknowing.
We are small.
We need to be rescued from ourselves.
We wouldn’t come close to seeing Him in His glory, if not for child-like faith, forgiveness and grace.
Thanks be to God, Amen.
Shari and Ian Watson