Jesus used the request of James and John to teach on “greatness.” With His teaching came the call to repentant faith. Bus, as always, Jesus lived out what He taught. He showed us how to serve.
Mk. 10:45 required that Jesus live out the submissive role of the servant. That is why He came! It is another of those truths that is perplexing to the natural man, that the Son of Man (a Messianic title, belonging to the Son of God) did not come to be served. We see two great illustrations of this in our passage.
First, in 10:36, Jesus asked James and John, what do you want Me to do for you? This is in the context of self-exaltation which is one way the natural man seeks to attain greatness, by tooting his own horn. Perhaps they thought they had won the contest among the Twelve (Mk. 9:34). Maybe they won the “straw vote.” The majority of votes wins everything in our culture. But the Kingdom of Christ is neither a republic nor a democracy. It is a dictatorship. Jesus had to tell them that what they asked was not for Him to give. But it did not stop Him from being the Servant.
Second, in 10:51, Jesus asked Bartimaeus, what do you want Me to do for you? This time the context was “oppression.” Not Bart, of course, but those who had gathered to Jesus and were basking in His words and works on the way to Jerusalem. They oppressed the blind man: “Be quiet! He is too busy for you!” Again, that is how the natural man seeks to achieve greatness. You at least must protect the privilege you have. Don’t let lesser people get in a take away your front row seat with the Savior. But Jesus knew He had to take the opportunity to serve, at which point, and for the same reason, the crowd now took up the cause of the blind man: Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you. How flighty we can be in our attempt to go with the prevailing winds of greatness.
But Jesus had said, Yet it shall not be so among you! No self-exaltation! No oppression! No playing the games we play to get ahead! In His kingdom, greatness is associated with submitting yourself to God and to those around you. Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant … shall be slave of all. The servant/slave opens himself up to the desires of others. When you ask someone, “what can I do for you,” we consider it taking a risk. Jesus shows us it is the life He lived and the life to which we are called.
Jesus set an example of servitude, or more specifically, an example of submission (1 Pt. 2:18-21). How did that work out? He took on the form of a bond-servant (Phil. 2:7), thus saying, “Father, what do you want Me to do for You?” His Father’s answer was that He become Man (Phil. 2:7), taking on the body prepared for Him (Heb. 10:5-9). He did that. And now, what shall we do? But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts (Rom. 13:14).
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