35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “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 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38 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 And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – MARK 10:35-45

As Youth Pastor, I find this interaction between the disciples and Jesus super relatable. Two of the youth walk up and say, “we need to you say yes, but don’t ask what for”. This could be something as simple as ‘can we have a few more minutes to finish this game of ping pong’, or it could be as dangerous as ‘could we race the wheel chairs down the stairs and around the church’. You just have no idea with these youth of today. So you look at them and ask, “What is it? What do you need?”

I don’t know that I have always been wise enough to ask that question first. But Jesus was.

Two disciples ask for him to say yes. And he looks at them and with all of the wisdom in the world He asks, “What do you want me to do for you?”

They look at each other and look at Jesus. James nudges John, “You ask Him.” “No, YOU.”

One of them gulps a bunch of air and says, “When you are on your throne, can we sit next to you?”

I would have said no, go away (in the most loving youth pastor way). But Jesus takes it and turns it into a teaching moment:

This following after Jesus is not just about what YOU receive. It’s about following after Jesus into servanthood, being a servant of all.

We tend to live our lives thinking about church in the “what’s in it for me” mentality. Does the worship service make me feel good? Does the church make me feel welcome? Is the church going to help me emotionally or financially through this tough time?

And certainly, all of those things are good. It’s good when the worship service plays all the hits and the preacher is ON FIRE (hopefully not literally). And it is great when you feel welcome and the church community is supportive when you are going through hard times.

But what if following after Jesus is more about following Him into servitude and self-sacrificial love than following Him into blessing?

Certainly, the blessing will be there. But Jesus calls us to love and to serve and to care for those in our world.

As you reflect on the scripture and these thoughts this week, respond to this question:

Who might God be calling you to serve today? Write their name(s) down on a piece of paper and stick it in your pocket.

Keep your eyes open – be ready to respond when the opportunity comes to serve others throughout your day.

Connect with more information about the Love For All Weekly Devotion and additional resources at SPLDECATUR.ORG/LOVEFORALL and SHARE your thoughts, questions, and prayers with us HERE.