Listen

Now when the other ten disciples heard about this, they became angry with James and John. Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the ones who are considered the rulers by the Gentiles show off their authority over them and their high-ranking officials order them around. But that’s not the way it will be with you. Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant. Whoever wants to be first among you will be the slave of all, for the Human One didn’t come to be served but rather to serve and to give his life to liberate many people.”

Mark 10:41-45

Think

Jesus has decided to turn his conversation with James and John into a lesson for all the disciples. Things are different in the family of faith, he says. It’s not about having a certain title or checking off all the exact right boxes on a list. Whether we hold a particular leadership role or not, as followers of Jesus, we are called to be humble and caring, the same way Jesus was to those who were closest to him. Yes, he challenged his disciples when they got off track, which they did repeatedly. (And so do we!) But Jesus also knelt down and washed their feet. He went out of his way to be close to, and care for, those whom others had pushed away.

No matter how young or old you are, how book-smart, artistic, or athletic (or not), Jesus’s invitation is the same. Rather than worrying about being the best or the most important, we can start loving and serving people right where we are.

Allison Wehrung

Question to Ponder:

Who do you look up to in your own faith life?

Pray

Servant God, you humbly led your disciples in love. Help me to explore the ways I might serve people in my own community, and through that service share your love.

Amen.

Go

God be the love to search and keep me

God be the prayer to move my voice

God be the strength to now uphold me

O Christ, surround me

O Christ, surround me

Richard Bruxvoort Colligan, “O Christ, Surround Me”