Sunday 21 October 2018

Psalm: Psalm 91:9-16

Background

A retelling of today’s passage from my ‘Jumbled up in Jerusalem’ blog:

After this, having paid no attention at all, James and John came to him. “Teacher, we want you to do as we ask!”

 “What is it?” he asked.

They replied, “Let us sit on each side of you when you achieve your glory.”

“You don’t know what you’re asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink from my cruel cup or share my bloody baptism?”

“We can,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “You will drink my cruel cup of Roman torture and share in my bloody baptism of crucifixion, but who sits at my side is not up to me, it’s already reserved.”

The other ten followers heard this and were furious with James and John, they had big ideas too! Jesus gathered them all and said, “The Roman rulers lord it over their people, and the most important take charge. You mustn’t be like that. If you want to become great, you must be a servant, and if you want to be first you must be everyone’s slave. Even the ‘Son of Man’ didn’t come to be rule, but to serve, and to lay down his life for others.”

To Ponder

• How do you feel about sharing in Jesus’ suffering?
• What are your thoughts about having high status in the church or the kingdom of God?