Lenten Thoughts - You've Been Served

What2Say2Day? Today's Lenten reading is from Matthew 20:24-28.

 When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’

This is the second half of an interesting short story in which Jesus is being asked to show favorites amongst his disciples by the mother of two of them. It would seem that even amongst Jesus' inner circle there are those who would dare make a "power play", even after everything Jesus has tried to teach them. To make the situation a little more, ummm, unusual the request comes after Jesus tells them, for the third time, he's about to die. Wha??!

It's often said by those who study these things that the disciples never understand, well, anything. And, in my opinion at least, this passage shows how true that is. I mean, really. Jesus has just spent close to three years with these folk talking about how the leaders in their society have it all wrong and how sharing the love of God and treating those who are considered outsiders are what gives one the key to God's Kingdom. He berates the leaders of the church time after time after time and here we see two disciples and their mom making a play to be the "leaders" alongside Jesus.

Jesus handles it well, though. He tells the mother and her sons that a) it's not going to happen and b) it's not up to him anyway. Well, as it is with all power plays the others hear about what just happened and get upset. Jesus handles that even better. He says to them that a) they do not want to be like those who are detested most and b) just relax.

Again we read about Jesus' reminder to be humble. Hopefully you read yesterday's post on what biblical humility is, if not I'm sorry. Jesus' hope is that all people can be find a way to treat those around them as equals to and with themselves. In God's view there is no such thing as one person or a group of people being greater than the other. We are all loved the same regardless of who we are or what we've done.

Live a life of humility, live a life of freedom from always having to be first.