Summoned to Serve

Mark 10:32–45 ESV

And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.” And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” And they said to him, “We are able.” And 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, 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.” And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Mark 10:32–45 ESV

And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.” And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” And they said to him, “We are able.” And 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, 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.” And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Passages like this are very heavy. The average person is in favor of giving to help people in need. I have no doubt that many of us in here have recently given money and/or time to help those who are suffering loss because of hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, or because of the wildfires raging in California. We’re in favor of giving money to a charity, volunteering time, or helping someone. But if we honestly look at this passage, the kind of giving that Jesus is talking about is frightening. It strikes fear in our hearts. That’s because his primary call here is not self-preservation, but self-sacrificial service. That is life in the kingdom of God, especially among those who are called to lead.

Who rescued these brothers? It wasn’t Jeremy. It was Jesus. How’d he choose to do the rescuing? He did it by using people he has transformed into self-sacrificial disciples. That’s the way of God’s kingdom, and it’s upside down. We are naturally inclined to protect ourselves at all costs. Most people are not opposed to giving, whether it’s giving money to a charity, or volunteering time, or helping someone. The average person doesn’t really have an issue with any of that. But what strikes fear in our heart is the type of living and giving that Jesus describes in our passage. That’s because the primary call is not self-preservation, but self-sacrificial service. That is life in the kingdom of God, especially among those who are called to lead.

We naturally think:

“If I give too much of my resources, I won’t have enough for myself.” “If I give too much of myself, I may get hurt. I may be taken advantage of. I may not be appreciated.”

Tonight I want all of us, especially John, to hear Jesus’ voice summoning us out of those fears and into his service. I love the gospels. Because what helps us out is that Jesus’ disciples are jacked up just like us. We’re not given a picture of twelve guys who had their act together and were in lock step with everything Jesus did and taught. I want to talk about three things from this text, The Suffering of the Son in vv. 32-34. Then, The Self-serving Sons in vv. 35-40. And lastly, The Summons of the Son.

We want to hear Jesus’ voice summoning us out of those fears and into his service. I love the gospels. Because what helps us out is that Jesus’ disciples are jacked up just like us. We’re not given a picture of twelve guys who had their act together and were in lock step with everything Jesus did and taught. Our text divides easily into three paragraphs. So our message Summoned to Serve, will follow those three paragraphs. We’ll look at The Son’s Suffering in vv. 32-34. Then, The Self-serving Sons in vv. 35-40. And lastly, The Son’s Summons.

Our text is the third time in the Gospel of Mark that Jesus, the Son of God, predicts his suffering. He is making it more and more evident that you cannot separate his message and his mission from his suffering.

Mark 10:32 ESV

And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him,

These verses fall within the section of Mark’s gospel, from 8:22-10:52 where Jesus’ identity and mission are clearly revealed to those who are following Jesus and to the readers of the gospel. It becomes more and more evident that you cannot separate his message and his mission from his suffering. Vv. 32-34 are the third time in this section that Jesus predicts his suffering, death, and resurrection. He did it in 8:31 and 9:31. In this third prediction of his suffering, he includes the most detail. Mark sets the scene in v. 32…

Even before Jesus says anything, the condition of everyone else with him are describe by two words, amazement and fear. They are traveling on their way up to Jerusalem. Jesus is going “up” to the suffering that’s awaiting him in Jerusalem. And don’t miss the contrast and the difference between Jesus and everybody else. He’s not lagging in the back of the group like a prisoner who’s being led away to his execution. He’s not even pictured as being among the group, walking on the road together. He is leading the way.

Even before Jesus says anything, the condition of everyone else with him are describe by two words, amazement and fear. They are traveling on their way up to Jerusalem. They’re going “up” literally, because Jerusalem is 3,500 ft higher in elevation than Jericho, their first stop along the way. But he’s also going “up” to the suffering that’s awaiting him in Jerusalem. And don’t miss the contrast and the difference between Jesus and everybody else. He’s not lagging in the back of the group like a prisoner who’s being led away to his execution. He’s not even pictured as being among the group, walking on the road together. He is leading the way. In our Scripture reading from , the Servant of the Lord says in v. 7,

Isaiah 50:7 ESV

But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame.

ISAIAH

Jesus has set his face like a flint towards Jerusalem. He has willingly embraced the sufferings that await him there, and he moves in that direction with a single-minded and unwavering determination. The disciples are lagging behind. The disciples are astonished by Jesus’ determination and resolve. They don’t understand the mission. The other folk who were following are just described as being afraid.

What does Jesus do? He takes the twelve and he responds to their astonishment and the fear of the other followers by telling them what’s about to happen to him.

Mark 10:33–34 ESV

saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

“I am going to suffer.” These are the things, Jesus says, that are about to happen to me. But we are going up to Jerusalem. You’re linked up with me. To follow me means to follow me into my suffering. Who wouldn’t be amazed? Who wouldn’t be astonished by that kind of talk? There was a popularity to Jesus. There was a popularity of being associated with Jesus. He had performed miracles. He healed. He taught. He obviously had great authority. And the clarification he must make for his disciples is, “yes there will be glory, but before glory the Son of Man must suffer.” And I’m taking you with me.

The details of his focus at this point is not on his resurrection, it’s on his sufferings. And do you know why we need to hear Jesus’ words and his message again? Because we’re just like the disciples. It’s incredible what happens next. It’s like Jesus’ words went right over their heads. The very next thing we see after the detailed description of the Son’s suffering are these self-serving sons who want a seat of superiority.

Mark 10:35–37 ESV

And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”

James and John are pumped up about Jesus. They knew that the place of highest honor in any kingdom is at the right and left hand of the king. So they want to put in their bid for the most prized positions of honor and power. Their answer to Jesus’ question, “What do you want me to do for you,” reveals the thing that’s dominating their heart and mind.

James and John are the sons of thunder. They’re pumped up about Jesus. They’re already in the “inner circle” with Peter, and they knew that the place of highest honor in any kingdom is at the right and left hand of the king. So they want to put in their bid for the most prized positions of honor and power. Their answer to Jesus’ question, “What do you want me to do for you,” reveals the thing that’s dominating their heart and mind. Mark is giving us another contrast. In the verses that follow our text, the last few verses of this section I said we’re in, Jesus is going to ask that same question.

Their eyes are opened only to glory without the cross. It’s like Jesus’ talk of betrayal, mocking, abuse, scourging and death is too much for them to bear. They don’t have a program to process this information. Everything that they’ve seen—his teaching with authority, the miracles and healings, the wisdom that comes from his mouth, the way he speaks to the scribes and pharisees without fear—all of it communicates glory and honor. All of it communicates power and position and prestige. All of it says, ‘let’s be close to him so that we can be close to power. So that we can share his power and rule.”

The response from James and John is that their eyes are opened only to glory without the cross. It’s like Jesus’ talk of betrayal, mocking, abuse, scourging and death is too much for them to bear. They don’t have a program to process this information. Everything that they’ve seen—his teaching with authority, the miracles and healings, the wisdom that comes from his mouth, the way he speaks to the scribes and pharisees without fear—all of it communicates glory and honor. All of it communicates power and position and prestige. All of it says, ‘let’s be close to him so that we can be close to power. So that we can share his power and rule.”

It’s like that scene in The Lion King. Here Simba’s been hanging out with his buddies Timon and Pumbaa. And then Nala shows up and breaks the news to Timon and Pumbaa that their buddy is the king. Timon says, “Lady, you’ve got your lions crossed.” But Nala persists and Simba has to admit that he was going to be king. So Timon says, “Let me get this straight. You’re the king? And you never told us?” Simba says, “Look, I’m still the same guy.” Then Timon’s eyes get big and he says, “But with power!”

Everybody wants to be next to the top dog. Everybody wants to be the man, or at least close to them man; to have their ego fed by being in a position where people look up to them.

No one wants to hear anything about the cross. We want to jump to glory, skipping over persecution.

Jesus had taken the twelve aside. He shared with them again the contents of his secret as the Messiah. There would be no glory apart from the cross. They were the ‘insiders.’ This aspect of his work was not for popular consumption. Yet, the private delivery of this truth to their ears wasn’t enough for it to sink in.

We can suffer the same confusion. We look back on the resurrection. We look back on Jesus’ being raised in glory, in ascending to his rightful place on God’s throne, and we can be like Peter, James and John on the mount of transfiguration () when they saw Jesus’ glory and Peter said, “Lord let’s set up tents and live up on this mountain.” We have the rock solid promise and hope of glory. We have the Spirit of God as our guarantee, the downpayment of our inheritance with God until we obtain full possession of it. But life right now is lived in the valley. That doesn’t mean that life is just doom and gloom. It means that there’s no way for the people of God to avoid the fact that suffering and glory go together.

Jesus highlights this when he asks them in v. 38…

Then they say in v. 39… They still don’t get it. The cup he is talking about isn’t the cup of celebration that you would drink at the coronation of a king. The cup Jesus says he must drink is the cup of God’s wrath. Baptism for us is a celebration, but the baptism Jesus says he must endure is the baptism of being thrust under the waters of sorrow and suffering and trouble. So his question to them… question was rhetorical. It requires a

Mark 10:38 ESV

Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”

Then they say in v. 39…

Mark 10:39 ESV

And they said to him, “We are able.” And 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,

Then they say in v. 39… They still don’t get it. The cup he is talking about isn’t the cup of celebration that you would drink at the coronation of a king. The cup Jesus says he must drink is the cup of God’s wrath. Baptism for us is a celebration, but the baptism Jesus says he must endure is the baptism of being thrust under the waters of sorrow and suffering and trouble. So his question to them… question was rhetorical. It requires a

They still don’t get it. The cup he is talking about isn’t the cup of celebration that you would drink at the coronation of a king. The cup Jesus says he must drink is the cup of God’s wrath. Baptism for us is a celebration, but the baptism Jesus says he must endure is the baptism of being thrust under the waters of sorrow and suffering and trouble. So his question to them… question was rhetorical. It requires a negative answer. The required answer is, “no.” But they say, “no problem.” They answer the Lord with confidence. Jesus confirms their answer, but not their meaning. You will drink the cup I drink. You will be baptized with my baptism. And the only reason that they will be able to endure it is because of what he says in v. 45, “the Son of Man came to give his life as a ransom for many,” and that includes them. There is glory. “to sit at my right…” Those places in glory are granted by God the Father. He doesn’t deny glory, and leave them without hope. But what they needed to understand that suffering and glory go together. They needed to have a grasp on the death and resurrection nature of discipleship.

negative answer. The required answer is, “no.” But they say, “no problem.” They answer the Lord with confidence. Jesus confirms their answer, but not their meaning. You will drink the cup I drink. You will be baptized with my baptism. And the only reason that they will be able to endure it is because of what he says in v. 45, “the Son of Man came to give his life as a ransom for many,” and that includes them. There is glory. “to sit at my right…” Those places in glory are granted by God the Father. He doesn’t deny glory, and leave them without hope. But what they needed to understand that suffering and glory go together. They needed to have a grasp on the death and resurrection nature of discipleship.

Followers of Jesus want to die to our self-serving ways. And what ought to make us smile is that Jesus didn’t cast them aside and say, “later for you. Y’all will never get it. Y’all are hopeless.” No. He was patient with them. He explained the truth to them. He stuck with them in their ignorance. He stuck with them in their thick-headedness. He stuck with them in their lack of understanding. And he sticks with us.

Indeed, he summons us out of our self-serving ways. He summons us out of our all-consuming occupation with ourselves. The Son’s summons is in vv. 42-45. But the transition to his summons in v. 41 is almost comical. Mark says that when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant with James and John. When the other ten disciples heard that James and John were trying to jockey for position in Jesus’ kingdom they got upset. Why did they get upset? Was it because they understood Jesus’ message and were bothered by the fact that these guys had missed everything Jesus had just said about his suffering for the third time? No. They were upset because James and John were leaving them out. “Zebedee boys, what’s up? Why’re you trying to play us? How’re you gonna leave us out like that? I thought we were tight!” The other ten didn’t get it either. Every time Jesus talked to them about his suffering and death the disciples have their minds focused on position and prestige. In ch. 8, after the first prediction of his suffering and death, Peter actually takes Jesus to the side and begins to rebuke him for talking like that. In ch. 9, after the second time, they’re traveling on their way to Capernaum. When they get there Jesus asks them, “What were you talking about on the way?” Like embarrassed children, they wouldn’t answer. You’ve been there parents… Mark says they kept silent because on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest…

Now, after the third time, they’re still concerned with who gets the top spot. They’re still concerned with who’s more deserving of honor.

You know yourself, right? If we’re honest with ourselves, we go through times when we wonder how God could use someone like us to build his kingdom. We mess up so much. Some of us will even go further and say, “God can’t use me! God wouldn’t have anything to do with someone who’s got so many problems, or with someone who’s got this particular problem.” You know that’s called? That’s called a pity party. The childishness and self-serving ways of the disciples are put in plain view for us to see. We don’t want our stuff out there, but there stuff is out there for the whole world to see. And it’s there for all of us to see that Jesus didn’t call people who had no problems. Jesus didn’t commit himself to people who had their act together. What he does is meet and confront us in our mess with his truth so that he can change us.

He responds to their indignation by summoning them and explaining to them what true greatness looks like in his kingdom. (read vv. 42-45)…

Mark 10:42–45 ESV

And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Authorities and officials in Rome ruled with a heavy hand. They ruled with an iron fist. They rule over their subjects with tyranny. They get what they want by imposing fear on those under their authority. That type of exercise of power is still around today. We’ve seen in our own country the struggle for civil rights. We’ve been appalled by black and white footage

Authorities and officials in Rome ruled with a heavy hand. They ruled with an iron fist. They rule over their subjects with tyranny. They get what they want by imposing fear on those under their authority. That type of exercise of power is still around today. We’ve seen in our own country the struggle for civil rights. We’ve been appalled by black and white footage from the South of police dogs being set loose on peaceful protesters; of fire hoses being turned on them. You watch the news today and see footage of people in Syria who want freedom from oppression, and their government responding by bombing their own citizens. Whether it’s a national government or a local gang, rule by oppression is still with us.

from the South of police dogs being set loose on peaceful protesters; of fire hoses being turned on them. You watch the news today and see footage of people in Syria who want freedom from oppression, and their government responding by bombing their own citizens. Whether it’s a national government or a local gang, rule by oppression is still with us.

Jesus rejects authoritarian of leadership among his disciples. He says emphatically in v. 43, “It is not that way with you.” Those who lead in Jesus’ kingdom lead by serving. His summons is away from self-interest to the interest of others (). As one commentator says,

“At no place do the ethics of the kingdom of God clash more vigorously with the ethics of the world than in the matters of power and service.”

You cannot have self-serving, self-exalting, self-promoting leadership in the church and be healthy. You can have self-promoting leadership in the church and be large. You can have self-promoting leadership in the church and be wealthy. You can have self-serving leadership in the church and be influential and popular. But you cannot have that type of leadership and be healthy. The reason is because,

“The preeminent virtue of God’s kingdom is not power, not even freedom, but service.”

“The reason why a servant is the most preeminent position in the kingdom of God is that the sole function of a servant is to give, and giving is the essence of God.”

This type of leadership is trustworthy even when faced with difficulty or if the decision isn’t popular. If a church knows that those whom they’ve selected to lead take Jesus’ words here in these verses with all seriousness, that they believe they’re summoned to be your servant, that they are summoned to be slave of all, and not the other way around, then trust, confidence and health will grow.

As a church we have confidence to follow Jesus wherever he’s leading. We know, without question, that whatever takes place in the life of our church, Jesus’ purposes for us are good and right and just. And this confidence in Jesus matters most when life is upside down and going in the opposite direction of our desires. We hear him say, “even the Son of Man didn’t come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many,” and we believe him. Those words bring comfort and healing because we trust him. He did give his life for us. He did serve us, and says to his disciples, y’all are to serve like that.

In this nomination process that begins today, we’re nominating men to the office of elder, to lead. We looked at last week, and we saw those qualifications laid out. Just like those qualities were not limited to elders, but every brother is called to be above reproach, to be a one woman man, to be sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not a bully, etc., so it is here. Every disciple of Jesus Christ is summoned to serve sacrificially. So, in nominating a brother, you’re asking the question, “Do I see it? Do I see this sacrificial service? …

In God’s kingdom, the closer we get to power, the clearer his summons to serve becomes, the louder it rings in our ears. The closer we get to Jesus, the less our answer to his question, “What do you want me to do for you,” is like James and John, and the more it’s like Bartimaeus, “Lord, I want to see, so that I can follow you on the way.”

“The implications of diakonos and doulos for the Twelve, as well as for ministers and leaders in the church of every generation, are inexhaustible. The Christian fellowship does not exist for their sake, but they for it.”

Summoned to Serve

Introduction

The Suffering of the Son

The Self-Serving Sons

The Summons of the Son