The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. from The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States "Jesus came to serve, not to be served" for Friday, 21 October 2016

The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. from The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States "Jesus came to serve, not to be served" for Friday, 21 October 2016

Matthew 20:20 Then Zavdai’s sons came to Yeshua with their mother. She bowed down, begging a favor from him. 21 He said to her, “What do you want?” She replied, “Promise that when you become king, these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right and the other on your left.” 22 But Yeshua answered, “You people don’t know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We can.” 23 He said to them, “Yes, you will drink my cup. But to sit on my right and on my left is not mine to give, it is for those for whom my Father has prepared it.”
24 Now when the other ten heard about this, they were outraged at the two brothers. 25 But Yeshua called them and said, “You know that among the Goyim, those who are supposed to rule them become tyrants, and their superiors become dictators. 26 Among you, it must not be like that. On the contrary, whoever among you wants to be a leader must become your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave! 28 For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve — and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
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Jesus kept talking about the Kingdom of heaven, his Kingdom. Weren’t “kingdoms” about
power, about who held the most powerful positions? James and John (and probably their
mom, though Mark didn’t mention her in Mark 10:35-45) thought they’d be smart, and make
their bid for power before the other disciples. “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. In Heaven’s Kingdom, there is no status seeking. In my Kingdom, we serve.

•  We know (as James and John did) what earthly importance, power and privilege look like. Down deep, most of us would like to have at least some of those things. But Jesus’ teaching was clear: “that’s not the way it will be with you.” Jesus said he didn’t come to be served, but to serve, and even give his life. In what specific ways does choosing to follow Jesus change your approach to life?
•  Jesus told James and John, “You WILL drink from my cup.” James was the first apostle martyred (Acts 12:2). On the other hand, Christian tradition said John, serving and writing, lived for many years, probably longer than any other apostle. In what ways did John, as well as James, “drink from Jesus’ cup”? In what ways, if any, has your life so far called on you to do that?

Prayer: Loving Lord, I’m human. Sometimes I have ambitious dreams and wishes. Keep
reshaping me, making those ambitions into ambitions to serve you and others. Amen.
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Insight from Darren Lippe

Darren Lippe helps facilitate Journey 101 “Loving God” classes, guides a 7th-grade Sunday school class, is a member of a small group & a men’s group, and serves on the Curriculum team.
I love today’s scene of John & James angling for cushy assignments to be at the right/left hand of Jesus, because it captures our human nature so well. (Note: Today’s passage from Matthew cites the request coming from Salome, the Mother of John & James. In Mark’s recounting John & James make the request. So, for the sake of simplicity we’ll assume the whole clan was of the same mindset.) Let’s take a closer look.
John & James were believed to have originally been followers of John the Baptist. When JtB declares that Jesus is the “Lamb of God,” they begin to listen to Jesus’ teachings. A short time later, John & James leave their Dad, Zebedee, literally sitting in the fishing boat to answer Jesus’ call. Jesus nicknames the brothers, “Sons of Thunder.”
How cool would it be to have Jesus give you a nickname? Talk about the ultimate honor. And “Sons of Thunder” is an awesome nickname – much better than the nickname, “Naked Dasher” for the young disciple fleeing the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:51-52). (Ahem. This “nickname” might need some verification – Editor.)
Aside: I like the response of the Mother with 3 toddlers when asked if she had a nickname. She said, “Yes. ‘Mom,’ which is short for ‘Mom-Mom-Mom-Mom.’” Or the story of President Eisenhower’s Mother, who wanted a name for her son that couldn’t be shortened into a nickname like his older brothers, & thus selected “Dwight.” Much to her chagrin, he became popularly known as “Ike.”
Upon our initial review of John & James’ request, we, too, might join the other Disciples in saying, “Tsk, Tsk.” (Or in the original Greek ΤΣΚ, ΤΣΚ.) But before we jump to any conclusions, I would submit there are some off-setting aspects we might be overlooking.
John & James have been part of Jesus’ traveling ministry for some time. During their trudging around on dusty highways & byways it shouldn’t be too surprising that their minds begin to wonder what the end-game might look like. Being a planner by nature, this makes perfect sense to me.
Interestingly, John & James are not issuing an ultimatum, i.e., we won’t continue as Your Disciples unless our demands are met. It is already a given that they will continue to be His followers, just asking for some extra consideration. Also, note the assumption built into John & James’ request. They are truly believers that Jesus will indeed ascend to the throne as the King of Kings. In fact, their belief is so strong they are plotting & planning the blueprint of the palace. There is no wavering faith for them.
But, we also know that our friends are missing the bigger picture. Yes, Jesus is the King of Kings, but following Him isn’t the path to self-glorification or bloated job titles or corner offices. Rather following Him comes with a great burden to make God’s Kingdom a reality here on earth. (Note: John & James’ selfless & sacrificial ministry recorded in the Gospels confirms that they indeed got “it” later on.)
I’m reminded of a conversation I had with an older friend who had become CEO of a small manufacturing plant. We were joking about how cool it was to have the nice office, the convenient parking spot, & 1st dibs on the Krispy Kremes in the break room. But he also noted that being boss was a huge obligation. “When I walk through the parking lot, I see cars with worn tires, old, beat-up, pickup trucks, & cars with booster-seats in them. It reminds me that all of these folks are relying on me to keep this company thriving. It isn’t just some reward. It’s a humbling responsibility.”
So, perhaps this morning we should pause & revel in the honor of being one of Jesus’ beloved Disciples, but know that with this distinction comes the challenge of serving Him & His children to the best of our abilities this day forward.
Who knows? Maybe Jesus will have a cool nickname for us as well!
(One second. I’m looking up how to say, “Long Winded” in Greek – Editor. Sigh -DL.)-------
"Jesus knew: serving others produces ;life to the fullest'” for Saturday, 22 October 2016
John 10:7 So Yeshua said to them again, “Yes, indeed! I tell you that I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All those who have come before me have been thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9 I am the gate; if someone enters through me, he will be safe and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only in order to steal, kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, life in its fullest measure.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, since he isn’t a shepherd and the sheep aren’t his own, sees the wolf coming, abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf drags them off and scatters them. 13 The hired worker behaves like this because that’s all he is, a hired worker; so it doesn’t matter to him what happens to the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; I know my own, and my own know me — 15 just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father — and I lay down my life on behalf of the sheep.
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Shepherds occupied one of the lowest social rungs in Jesus’ day. So Jesus chose a rather
daring metaphor when he called himself “the good shepherd.” But his words strongly echoed
those of the prophet Ezekiel (cf. Ezekiel 34:1-16) in which God promised Israel that he would shepherd them himself. Jesus came as “the good shepherd” who would safely guide and protect all who trusted him. He offered them life to the fullest. And, as a good shepherd, he found the deepest meaning and joy for his own life by leading his flock safely and well.

•  “I am the good shepherd” is, of course, a metaphor. Based on what you know about shepherds, in what ways is Jesus most like a shepherd? Sheep aren’t capable of caring for themselves—they have to trust their shepherd for well-being and safety. But humans aren’t sheep—we have to choose to trust. What influences and experiences have moved you toward trusting Jesus to be your shepherd? When have you experienced Jesus as your shepherd? In what ways do you most need him to shepherd you today?

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I choose to trust you to be my shepherd. Shelter me, care for me and
guide me to the truly good life—a life lived by your direction and in your love. Amen.
Family Activity: Create a family giving chain. Cut several sheets of colored construction paper into strips. Every week, give each family member one strip of paper. Have each person write his or her name on the paper strip and one way he or she served or gave to others that week. In addition to giving time or energy, also include ways your family is giving money to church and others. Form the first slip into a circle and staple or tape the ends together, then add to that circle by connecting the strips together to create a chain. At the end of each month, review the acts of giving your family has shared in. Thank God for the privilege of giving to God and to others.

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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
Prayer Requests – request cards are in the attendance notebooks or visit cor.org/prayer
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:

•  Caroline Lundberg and family on the death of her husband Tom Lundberg, 10/7
•  Linda Metzger and family on the death of her sister Vicki Lambrecht Davis, 10/7
•  Janet Roberts and family on the death of her husband Dave Roberts, 10/6
•  Terry Jackson and family on the death of her husband Rick Jackson, 10/6
• Steve Foster and family on the death of his brother Michael Foster, 10/6
• Anita Conrad and family on the death of her aunt Marie Marcum, 10/5
• Ann Alexander and family on the death of her father Jay R. Warner, 10/5
•  Marc Paulson and family on the death of his grandmother Verna Paulson, 10/4
•  Randy Wolverton and family on the death of his father Ed Wolverton, 10/3
•  Deb Walz and family on the death of her mother Lisbeth “Becky” Hosfield, 10/2
• Arlene Avery and family on the death of her mother Frances Avery, 9/23
•  Tracy Howell and family on the death of his brother Jeff L. Howell, 9/2

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13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
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