I AM, The Greatest (Again)

6 min read

42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
—Mark 10:42-45

This episode begins with the followers of Jesus being astonished and afraid. And then Jesus calls the twelve aside and tells them for the third time that He will be handed over and crucified in Jerusalem. Is Jesus purposefully trying to discourage His disciples?

And the disciples were astonished and afraid because of disillusionment. As we follow Jesus, at some point we begin to realize that a life of faith is not quite what we signed up for. We love the healings (especially our own), the exorcisms, the miracles, the crowds, the great preaching. We love the movement. We love the anticipation of something great.

But then, Jesus tells us clearly and plainly to set all of that aside and look to the cross for our model and for our hope. And if we still don’t get it, He tells us again, and again, and again.

More than anything, the Lord of the universe, the great I AM, showed us by going to the cross Himself … for us, for me.

And if my Lord is willing to suffer the pain of God’s wrath and the mocking of sinful men for me, what then am I willing to do for others—given the forgiveness of my sins, the gift of eternal life, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit I have received in Him?

And it’s not that Jesus demands that I literally die for Him or for anyone else. Yet I confess that forgiving others and serving others can feel like death in my heart sometimes because of pride.

However, the more I become like Jesus, the more I am inclined to forgive and serve people who are truly not worthy of forgiveness and service, because I realize that I myself am not truly worthy of His forgiveness and service.

James and John were seeking to be appointed to the highest offices of Jesus’s kingdom. And even though the other disciples “became indignant,” James and John’s pursuit of “greatness” demonstrates what comes most naturally to all people. And all Jesus is saying is to take that hunger for greatness and apply it to the values of the kingdom of God rather than the values of this corrupt and dying world.

But that shift in perspective and attitude can only happen when we focus our eyes on the cross—that is, on Christ, and Him crucified, resurrected, and returning.

Father, I confess my pride. Forgive me for measuring the mercy and grace that You have lavished on me when I serve others. Help me to see myself and everyone through the lens of the cross. In Jesus’s name. Amen.