Not to Be Served but to Serve

KEY VERSE: “The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for [the] many.” —Mark 10:45

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Mark 10:32-45

IT IS not possible for us to fully assess the motives of James and John in coming to Jesus and asking for a preferred place in the kingdom. But in view of the lesson Jesus developed as a result of the incident, we must conclude that there was a self-seeking spirit manifested by all the disciples. In their defense, however, we must remember that the Holy Spirit had not yet been given to them.

When Jesus responded to James and John, his purpose seemed to be to impress upon them that a position with him in the kingdom was not his to give, but that God will give it to them for whom it is prepared. (Mark 10:40) Also, in order to be considered for a position in the kingdom, it would be necessary to be faithful and submissive in all of the experiences the Lord permitted them to have. The words of Jesus were, “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?” (Mark 10:38) The symbolic cup Jesus drank from represented all the experiences the Lord permitted him to have during his ministry. It also included the proper heart-felt response Jesus was to feel and manifest. It is evident that James and John would not have the exact experiences Jesus had, but rather those that the Lord in his wisdom would see best for their individual growth. And these experiences would have to be met with the proper heart attitude of meekness and love.

The baptism Jesus spoke of was not water baptism, which is but a symbol of true baptism. The real baptism means to be entirely submersed in doing and being submissive to the will of the Heavenly Father. This involves the daily laying down of one’s life in the Lord’s service. The Apostle Paul speaks of baptism in this way: “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?” (Rom. 6:3) Even though James and John did not really understand the implications of what Jesus was saying, they asserted that they could drink the cup and be baptized with his baptism. Jesus then indicated that, in due time, they would drink of his cup and be baptized with his baptism, and we know that this was the case.

When the other disciples learned what James and John had done, they were very displeased. But Jesus called them all together and said, “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; but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for [the] many.” (Mark 10:42-45) In these few words Jesus stated the true theme of the Christian life. It is a life of selflessness, which is the spirit of doing for others. This spirit was first manifested by God himself. His whole purpose is to shower his human creation with blessings, and the only thing that he asks of them in return is obedience. Even in disobedience and while yet sinners God commended his love toward us by sending his Son to die that we might live.—Rom. 5:8; John 3:16

The Apostle Paul tells us about the wonderful example of Jesus, in Philippians 2:5-11, which we quote in part, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God [“counted not equality with God a thing to be grasped at,” RSV]: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in the fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” The obvious comparison is with Satan who did grasp at equality with God, and said, “I will be like the most High.”—Isa. 14:13,14

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