It is not this way among you

Mark 10:32-52 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful. And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him, ³³ saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles. ³⁴ They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.”

³⁵ James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.” ³⁶ And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” ³⁷ They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.” ³⁸ But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” ³⁹ They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. ⁴⁰ But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

⁴¹ Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James and John. ⁴² Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. ⁴³ But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; ⁴⁴ and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

⁴⁶ Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. ⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁸ Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁹ And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.” ⁵⁰ Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. ⁵¹ And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” ⁵² And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.

In today’s text it says:  Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”   Why would the people have told the blind man to keep quiet? Was it that they were trying to protect Jesus, to guard Him from the presence of this blind beggar? Were they concerned for Jesus time? Or was it that they saw this man as having little or no worth? Did they judge him as not being worthy of Jesus? What reasons do we have for inhibiting others from seeking and receiving from the Lord? Is it that we think that Jesus doesn’t have enough time for them and for our plans or agenda too? Do we judge them as unworthy of the Lord’s attention? Do we hold their sin or their circumstance against them? Fortunately for Bartimaeus, it didn’t matter to Jesus what the reasons or motives of the people were. The text says:  Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.” Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.     Jesus had time for Bartimaeus. Jesus has time for all who seek Him as Lord. Regardless of their sin or circumstance, those who ask in faith, believing, will receive. The believing though is not only believing for what we want. It is believing in the one from whom we ask. It is not our faith to receive that matters, as if by our will it will happen. It is our faith in Christ, the Lord, as He and the Father will, that we receive what we ask.

Earlier in today’s text it says:  James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.” And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James and John. Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”    Do we at times seek rank in the eyes of people and in the kingdom of God like James and John? Do we see ourselves as being worthy of being closer to Jesus than others? It’s normal, it’s human nature for us to do that. Jesus says:  “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them.”  Just because it is normal and natural though doesn’t make it right or acceptable in the sight of God.  Jesus says: “But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

In John 14:12-14 Jesus says:   “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”  If we desire to do the things that Jesus did. If like James and John we would be positioned near Jesus, then like Him we must be servants to all. Jesus came to give His life as a ransom for many. If we desire to be near Him, to be like Him, then we too must encourage and not hinder those who seek Jesus. We must not look at their sin or their circumstance, but instead be those who bring them to the Lord. What do you think, when the power and the presence of the kingdom of heaven touched Bartemaus, was there enough power and presence to touch others also? Could it be that if any served Bartemaus that day, they too were served? Scripture doesn’t tell us, but in Matthew 13:33 Jesus says: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.”  When the kingdom of heaven touches earth, when Jesus touches one who seeks Him, all those who are there, in the presence will be touched also. Those who serve will also be served. Those who minister, will be ministered to. Those who give will receive. It doesn’t matter if we are first or last if we will do the things that Jesus did, if we will serve Him and serve others for Him, we will have our place with Him.

‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. ‘Give us this day our daily bread. ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.   Amen.’