Mark 10:35-45
35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” 39 They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

41 When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. 42 So Jesus called them and said to them, “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. 43 But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Reflection:
This isn’t the first time a conflict like this broke out among the disciples. There was a bit of a misunderstanding about who this Jesus guy was and what he came to do. The way they saw it, Jesus was a political savior who would set them free from the oppressive grip of the Roman Empire and restore Jerusalem to its former glory. Jesus would dethrone the emperor, and the disciples would get a piece of the pie, a piece of Christ’s Kingdom. Specifically, they wanted to achieve a rank or status as close to Jesus’ own rank or status as they possibly could—second in command.

If nothing else, James and John have guts to command Jesus to give them whatever they want, and the request for the highest ranks in Jesus’ glory is certainly a bold ask. Jesus doesn’t give them a straight forward yes or no. Instead he says, “You do not know what you are asking.” They don’t understand what they’re asking because they don’t understand the glory of Christ’s Kingdom. This is not a Kingdom that takes its power and lords it over the lower classes. The Kingdom that Christ came to enact on earth is an upside-down Kingdom where the least becomes the greatest and the greatest becomes the least, where being a servant is decidedly better than hoarding power. To sit at Christ’s side in glory comes at a great price—to drink from his cup and to be baptized with his baptism. In other words, we give up our whole selves for the sake of others. The disciples would later learn that to enact Christ’s Kingdom, it would cost them nothing less than everything.

It’s easy as Christ’s followers we forget what we signed up for. We, like the disciples, misunderstand the Kingdom of God and our roles within it. So what does it mean for us to actually share in the glory of Christ’s Kingdom? Jesus says it plainly. Become a servant to all. The Greek word used for servant in this passage is the word diakonos. This word is not just an activity; it is a way of existing in the world. Christ doesn’t just say, “Go serve others.” He says, “Be a servant.” It’s an act of constantly diminishing yourself for the sake of the other.

One of our five Inside-Out Habits here at St. Luke’s is “We Give Ourselves Away in Generosity and Service.” It’s not, “We Serve,” or “We Give Money.” It’s We Give Ourselves Away, a commitment to surrendering our whole selves to Christ by pouring ourselves out as Christ did. This is where the glory of the Kingdom is located. It’s located in the grueling, self-emptying work of seeing Christ’s Kingdom revealed on earth. This is the cup of Christ from which we are called to drink. This is the glory in which we are invited to share.

Closing Prayer:
Holy God,
Thank you for your upside-down Kingdom and for the ways you shift our perspective of glory and honor. You elevate the lowly. You make great what is small. You make first what is last. Guide us through the work of giving ourselves away for the sake of others and for the sake of your Kingdom. Amen.