The Way of Unselfish Service

MEMORY SELECTION: “Whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.” —Mark 10:43,44

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Mark 10:35-45

THE way of unselfish service involves humility and the recognition of the rights and needs of others. The Christian who is governed by this mark of character is not self-seeking but seeks the welfare of others before his own. Jesus’ life was the epitome of such unselfish service and dedication to the Heavenly Father.

Two of the apostles, James and John, had been especially close to Jesus throughout his earthly ministry. Indeed, they were two of our Lord’s earliest and most faithful disciples. But, although they both loved him very much, we note a degree of self-centeredness in their request regarding whether or not they would be granted positions of special honor in his kingdom—one being on the right hand and the other on his left. No doubt they thought that Jesus would establish his kingdom very soon, and as the “right” and the “left” were significant of great honor in ancient courts, they wanted to be sure to have such special places in the kingdom.

Jesus answered them, however, by saying, “Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? (vs. 38) They knew not what they were asking because they understood little of the nature of our Lord’s future kingdom at that time.

Instead of promising them positions of great honor in a royal court, together with its displays of power and privilege, Jesus spoke to his disciples about the cost of discipleship. The “cup” and the “baptism” were illustrative of Jesus’ own suffering and death. They were also symbols of the self-denial which would be necessary to prove the heart loyalty of those who desired to share in that kingdom. To be baptized into Jesus meant to be baptized into his death, and to drink of the symbolical cup represented the trials and afflictions which would be common to all who would be faithful even unto death.

James and John responded quickly in the affirmative to Jesus’ question by saying (vs. 39), “We can,” which in effect shows the depth of heart loyalty which they possessed. And although our Lord promised them that they would have the privilege of drinking of the same cup that he would drink of and of being baptized with the same baptism that he was baptized with, nevertheless it was in the hands of the Heavenly Father to give rewards according as he willed. For he said, “But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.”—vs. 40

The account now shifts from a private conversation between our Lord and James and John to a more general discussion with the rest of the disciples. At first it seems that the other ten were angry with the display of self-centeredness which they had seen manifested, as it is written (vs. 41), “And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.”

Jesus took the opportunity, however, to teach a lesson to all of them concerning the way of unselfish service. The account continues (vss. 42,43), “But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you.”

It is at this point in the account that Jesus uttered the words of our memory selection that “whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.” (vss. 43,44) A lesson of great humility is taught in this text, showing the depth of heart loyalty and devotion that Jesus possessed. And, although they evidently did not understand or appreciate the full significance of our Lord’s teachings at that moment in their Christian experience, the apostles were especially chosen vessels to bear the message of the coming kingdom and to serve the household of faith all down through the Gospel Age.

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