James and John came up to Jesus and asked him to do them a favor. And they didn’t ask for forgiveness or healing or to understand scripture better. They asked to sit at his right and left hand when he got his glory. They wanted to be important. To have status. To win.
And you know what? Jesus didn’t shame them for wanting it. He just said, you don’t understand what you’re asking for. Can you drink the cup I’m going to drink? And they said, sure, we can. Spoiler alert: they couldn’t.
But then the other ten disciples heard about it and got angry. And you can feel it in the text. The jockeying for position. The insecurity. The fear that if James and John get lifted up, there’s less room for them. It’s the same fight we’re all in, isn’t it? The competition for being significant.
And Jesus calls them all together and says something radical. You know how the rulers of the world do it? They throw their weight around. They order people around. But that’s not how it works with you. Whoever wants to be great, become a servant. Whoever wants to be first, become a slave to everyone.
And I think—I think he’s not saying this to make us feel bad. He’s not saying it like, oh you’re so selfish. He’s saying it because he’s seen the alternative. He’s seen what happens when people climb over each other trying to be important. And it destroys them. It makes them small, even when they’re in charge of everything.
But when you choose to serve? When you actually pay attention to somebody else’s need instead of your own status? You become large. You become free. You become the kind of person that actually matters.
A reflection by Rev. MaryGean Cope