Scripture: Mark 9: 30-41
30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples.
He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. 33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. 35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” 36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” 39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us. 41 Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.
Today's Meditation:
When we become Christ-followers and engage in a journey of life-long discipleship, we learn early on that our world is upended and becomes topsy-turvy. Whether we commit ourselves as a young or older person to Jesus, what we have learned and garnered up to that time, in terms of the way things work in the world, is often not the way of Jesus.
In this Scripture text, Mark the Gospel writer records how the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest. That question, “Who is the greatest?” is answered by cultures and societies around the world by things like wealth, lineage, talent, intellect, power, and prestige. Jesus does not see it that way. Greatness, according to Jesus, is the person who has the heart of a servant and whose motives don't seek to be first in line but allow others to go before him or her.
That is the economy of the Kingdom of God. God does not favor the “top dog,” but rather the one who allows and works towards the flourishing of others.
Prayer:
Loving and Gracious God, may I emulate the example of Jesus “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the nature of a servant…”
(Philippians 2: 6-7).
Jesse G. Mabanglo