The Key to Greatness
The Key to Greatness by DeLishia Boykin David
Jesus got them together to settle things down. “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around,” he said, “and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served – and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage.” (Mark 10:42-45 The Message) My brothers and sisters, as we meditate on the tenth chapter of the Gospel of Mark, we reflect on the conversation that James and John had with Jesus. They loved Jesus and they wanted to share in his glory. They asked Jesus if they could be positioned with him – one on the right and the other on the left in the kingdom, which The Message refers to as the highest places of honor. As a result, James, John and the other disciples who became upset about this conversation were all included in a teaching moment of Jesus. Jesus reminds them that there is a great difference between his followers and the general population. One of the key factors is how one handles the power. As believers, we inherit a power and we receive the power from the Holy Spirit yet we should not boast in it or become consumed by it. We are called to be like Jesus, which means we should use the power to bless others.
Jesus told James and John “You don’t know what you are asking for.” Oftentimes, my brothers and sisters, we seek to gain position and/or prestige without realizing what it takes to get there. Just before my first ordination in the ministry, some of the members of my ministerial class and I had the opportunity to speak with a pastor of a mega church. We expressed admiration for him, and said we wanted to be like him. He quickly told us something I will never forget, “Never say you want to be like me. To say you want to be
Jesus got them together to settle things down. “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around,” he said, “and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served – and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage.” (Mark 10:42-45 The Message) My brothers and sisters, as we meditate on the tenth chapter of the Gospel of Mark, we reflect on the conversation that James and John had with Jesus. They loved Jesus and they wanted to share in his glory. They asked Jesus if they could be positioned with him – one on the right and the other on the left in the kingdom, which The Message refers to as the highest places of honor. As a result, James, John and the other disciples who became upset about this conversation were all included in a teaching moment of Jesus. Jesus reminds them that there is a great difference between his followers and the general population. One of the key factors is how one handles the power. As believers, we inherit a power and we receive the power from the Holy Spirit yet we should not boast in it or become consumed by it. We are called to be like Jesus, which means we should use the power to bless others.
Jesus told James and John “You don’t know what you are asking for.” Oftentimes, my brothers and sisters, we seek to gain position and/or prestige without realizing what it takes to get there. Just before my first ordination in the ministry, some of the members of my ministerial class and I had the opportunity to speak with a pastor of a mega church. We expressed admiration for him, and said we wanted to be like him. He quickly told us something I will never forget, “Never say you want to be like me. To say you want to be