Crumbs 121

 

Crumbs 121

Leadership

Scripture Mark 10:32-38 World English Bible 32 They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus was going in front of them, and they were amazed; and those who followed were afraid. He again took the twelve, and began to tell them the things that were going to happen to him. 33 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes. They will condemn him to death, and will deliver him to the Gentiles. 34 They will mock him, spit on him, scourge him, and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.” 35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came near to him, saying, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we will ask.” 36 He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 They said to him, “Grant to us that we may sit, one at your right hand, and one at your left hand, in your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

Crumbs

Once again I discover the value of viewing Scripture in context. The prediction of our Lord’s death by our Lord is followed by this utterly inappropriate request from James and John. Would I have done any better? No ! The Lord’s work was moral, supernatural and universal. They had no inkling of this Jesus heads for Jerusalem the seat of His opponents for the cosmic clash between good and evil. His suffering involves four components. Firstly there is derision. The gospel accounts emphasise what was said to our Lord in His days before the cross. Contempt follows. This is beyond mockery. It involves anger and hatred. He was not simply killed . He was tortured. All for us and our salvation. But James and John think of glory and status.

Jesus challenges them on two levels, the cup and the baptism. Jesus faced His cup his future sufferings in Gethsemane. His baptism was His death ( Romans 6). As I study the words and work of our Lord Jesus Christ I find to be so radical that few of us have really grasped what He is saying. There are sufferings in each of our destinies . There are flaws in each of us that must die.

Questions

1. What should be a Christian’s ambition ?

2. What is implicit in the call of Christ to follow Him ?.

3. What is baptism ?