Our Serve!
Here’s a concept - Our relationship with Jesus should motivate us to serve!
I have seen and heard about walks and driveways being shoveled, pipes being thawed and repaired, pullin’ one another out of the snow, and folks just helpin’ one another out.
Today – Let’s look at 2 brothers… James and John, ol’ Zebedee’s sons, who were followers of Jesus. Their father ran a large fishing business, and James and John worked with him alongside other employees. When Jesus came by the place where they were mending their nets, He invited the two brothers to follow Him. So, they left their dad’s business in order to follow Jesus.
Later on, Jesus had been giving the disciples instruction. He told them how they would have thrones in heaven. James and John had been thinkin’ it over and they decided they would get Jesus to grant them a favor.
In Mark 10, they tell Jesus, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.” Wait a minute, did they just try to convince Jesus to agree to what they wanted? And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"
They said something like, “Jesus, when we get to heaven, we’d like to sit, one of us on the right and the other on your left. We want to be your one and two. And Jesus tells ‘em, “If you want to be on my right and left, then drink the cup of death with Me!
You should know that My Father is the One who will choose who sits where.” That’s when they realize that maybe they hadn’t thought things through too well. And the others could see thru what these two were trying to pull over on them. And then Jesus tells them something like, “If you want to be of worth, if you want to be great, don’t be like the bosses who lord their authority over those who do day work for them. You want to be great? Then be a servant and serve the people! If you have such a desire to be first, then be last. Be a servant to all!”
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45 nasb) Wow! Have you ever wanted to be a part of some team (football, ranch rodeo, softball. Even debate) that didn’t have it all going on just, so you could help them out? Oh sure, anyone can be the last peg on the best team and do well, but isn’t it better to be able to help out and teach others a few things? Which one is more rewarding? Would you rather be on a team that is loaded with illegal ringers or the team that just wants to get better and have some fun getting there?
It’s an awesome thing to learn that we win when we serve others. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all.