Mark 9:35
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
Often, our first impulse is to be at the front of the line, not at the end of it. I for one find it difficult to wait for others when I could quickly be finished. I haven’t really thought of that tendency as a lack of humility, but I can see it now. Why should I not wait in line when only one can be first? Why would I warrant being first in line just because I can move quickly? Why am I not helping those in front of me, or finding other things I can do to be useful, while waiting my turn? This humility is not always automatic for me. It should be.
Lord God, help me to be humble, to put myself last, to help others first, and to be useful in the process. With the Holy Spirit as my guide, I can be better. Amen
Becky, transforming
Tuesday, September 24th, 2024
Mark 9:35
And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”
The disciples wanted to know who would be the greatest. Jesus told them that you achieve success in God’s Kingdom by serving others–especially the most vulnerable.
Then, Jesus used an object lesson to demonstrate this principle. He embraced a child in front of the disciples. Children were considered unimportant because they had no recognition or power in society. By embracing the child Jesus characterized Kingdom greatness as being comprised of humility rather than self-importance. So the lesson for me this morning is, I want to achieve success in God’s Kingdom, I have no…
Mark 9:35
Pastor Jen preached Mark 9:30-37 this Sunday and emphasized the concept of servant leadership as laid out in our verse today. Humility is not the equivalent of being a doormat. A humble person leads by example and with empathy for those with whom they work, putting their interests in front of any desire for personal recognition or gain. This is seen as counter-cultural and out of step in today’s “it’s all about me” mindset, but Jesus was shockingly counter-cultural when He lived among us. He is the role model of humble servant leadership.
Prayer - Jesus, Your admonition of the disciples who argued about who was the greatest brings conviction to Your followers even today. Teach me to…