Daily Scripture
Mark 10:32-52 32 They were on the road going up to Yerushalayim. Yeshua was walking ahead of them, and they were amazed — and those following were afraid. So again taking the Twelve along with him, he began telling them what was about to happen to him. 33 “We are now going up to Yerushalayim, where the Son of Man will be handed over to the head cohanim and the Torah-teachers. They will sentence him to death and turn him over to the Goyim, 34 who will jeer at him, spit on him, beat him and kill him; but after three days, he will rise.”[a]
35 Ya‘akov and Yochanan, the sons of Zavdai, came up to him and said, “Rabbi, we would like you to do us a favor.” 36 He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 They replied, “When you are in your glory, let us sit with you, one on your right and the other on your left.” 38 But Yeshua answered, “You don’t know what you’re asking! Can you drink the cup that I am drinking? or be immersed with the immersion that I must undergo?” 39 They said to him, “We can.” Yeshua replied, “The cup that I am drinking, you will drink; and the immersion I am being immersed with, you will undergo. 40 But to sit on my right and on my left is not mine to give. Rather, it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
41 When the other ten heard about this, they became outraged at Ya‘akov and Yochanan. 42 But Yeshua called them to him and said to them, “You know that among the Goyim, those who are supposed to rule them become tyrants, and their superiors become dictators. 43 But among you, it must not be like that! On the contrary, whoever among you wants to be a leader must be your servant; 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must become everyone’s slave! 45 For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve — and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
46 They came to Yericho; and as Yeshua was leaving Yericho with his talmidim and a great crowd, a blind beggar, Bar-Timai (son of Timai), was sitting by the side of the road. 47 When he heard that it was Yeshua from Natzeret, he started shouting, “Yeshua! Son of David! Have pity on me!” 48 Many people scolded him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the louder, “Son of David! Have pity on me!” 49 Yeshua stopped and said, “Call him over!” They called to the blind man, “Courage! Get up! He’s calling for you!” 50 Throwing down his blanket, he jumped up and came over to Yeshua. 51 “What do you want me to do for you?” asked Yeshua. The blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me be able to see again.” 52 Yeshua said to him, “Go! Your trust has healed you.” Instantly he received his sight and followed him on the road.
Footnotes:
Mark 10:34 Isaiah 50:6, Hosea 6:2
Complete Jewish Bible
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Reflection Questions
“Jesus and his disciples were on the road, going up to Jerusalem.” Jesus had been speaking plainly (cf. Mark 8:32) about why he was going to Jerusalem for some time. But James, John and all of them still thought he must be going there to declare himself king, raise an army, drive out the Romans and set up God’s eternal kingdom on earth. The brothers thought they’d make their bid for power before the other disciples. “You don’t know what you’re asking!” Jesus said. In Heaven’s kingdom, we serve. In Jericho, the last stop before Jerusalem, he again showed what caring looked like.
- Scholar Craig Keener noted that “The disciples want to get on with the business of setting up the kingdom (10:37; 11:9–10), not understanding that stopping for a blind beggar is the sort of thing Jesus’ kingdom is all about.” * In what ways can we get so busy pursuing our planned activities, whether serving ourselves or serving God, that we become more like those who told the blind man to be quiet than like Jesus?
- Jesus said: “The ones who are considered the rulers by the Gentiles show off their authority over them and their high-ranking officials order them around.” That kind of power can be a “high.” But Jesus went on, “Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant.” Where do you have power (parent, boss, teacher, pastor, public office, etc.)? Do you most often use your power to serve others, or are you tempted to use it on your own behalf? How can you become more of a “servant leader”?
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.
* Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993, introductory comment on Mark 10:46-52.
Roberta Lyle has been on the Resurrection staff since 2006. She serves as the Program Director for Local Impact Ministries, concentrating on Education, Life Skills and Youth Focused Ministries.
According to my unscientific Amazon search, there are over 200,000 books available that provide insights on how to be a leader. In 2017 alone there were 92 titles that qualified as "leadership best sellers." I'm sure many of these books would offer great tips on time management, goal setting, prioritizing and inspiring others. I don't know about you but the best lessons I have learned in this regard have come through observing or working with great leaders and I have been blessed to come to know many through my work in Local Impact Ministries.
These are often the people who serve behind the scenes and don't want to be recognized or lauded. They spend hours meticulously planning and preparing for events that engage many volunteers, whether filling backpacks with weekend food or "brain bags" that keep kids' minds engaged over spring break. Their careful work allows volunteers to serve in ways that make them feel valued and understand the relevance of the work they are doing. Some leaders work all day and then late into the night, guiding volunteers in fixing cars so single moms can get to work the next day. Other leaders get up at dawn to ensure their volunteer team arrives to find hot coffee and breakfast pastries waiting so they can enjoy a time of fellowship, sharing life before heading out to deliver supplies or pick up pallets of food and return to the church. Some leaders take groups to storm ravaged areas where volunteers spend the day in hard labor fixing homes and nights on air mattresses so they can offer hope to those who thought they were forgotten.
I could go on and on with examples of true servant leadership. These leaders are not motivated by a desire for praise or hope for admiration. They are always driven by a vision and higher purpose that can only come from loving God. They sacrifice personal comfort and put their personal resources at God's disposal because they've heard God's call and can't imagine not responding.
What leadership traits do the best selling books tout and what reward do they promise those who embrace their advice? Career advancement and better pay? More prestige and status? True servant leaders are courageous enough to risk looking foolish in the eyes of the world and put aside their comfort for the sake of serving others, because this is what Jesus calls us to do
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Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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