Verse: Mark 10:42-45
42 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. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slaveof all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Devotional Thoughts:
I’m a huge fan of the movie The Lion King. As you may/should know, there is a live-action adaptation of the film arriving this summer, and the trailer for the movie actually dropped just last week.
Many of the quotes in the trailer were similar to the original animated movie, but one new quote in particular stood out. Speaking to his son Simba, Mufasa says,
“Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. While others search for what they can take, a true king searches for what he can give.”
Oh man, what a quote.
Biblical too, and just in time for Easter. Jesus unpacks this premise in Mark 10. He tells the disciples to consider the rulers of the day. They’ll do anything they can to gain power and keep it. Think back to King Herod. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus had to move to Egypt, for as Matthew 2:16 tells us, “he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under.” History tells us he also had a couple of his sons executed, along with his wife, because he thought they were trying to take his throne. Again, anything to gain power and keep it.
But Jesus says we are to follow in the footsteps of a better king. “But it shall not be so among you,” Jesus says. Want to be considered great? Be a servant. Be a slave of all. And then the clincher, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Points to Ponder:
Jesus could’ve came to earth and expected to be served. He is the true King, yet even he came not to be served but to serve. As Mufasa says, “A true king searches for what he can give.” And Jesus embodies that. He came to lay down his life as a ransom for many.
So how can we expect any different? In God’s economy, truly great people aren’t measured by what they’ve gained, but by what they give away.
Your business acumen, your degrees, your career/personal achievements – none of those things count for anything when it comes to measuring greatness. What you’ve gained or achieved isn’t nearly as important as what you did with those things. Do you use those things to build yourself or to build up others?
We’re to follow in the footsteps of our true King. Success and achievements are a wonderful thing, but we’re to always understand that the best accolade is to one day hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Want to be great? Be a servant. Search for what you can give. And that’s not simply financially (though that could be a part). Give your time, your effort, your support, your help, your life. Spend your life serving. Spend your life giving.
That’s what Jesus did. And that’s what he calls us to. So how can you start?
