Day 10 of 21
What essential element is Christ looking for in our character?
To be directly confronted by Christ with sin in your heart, as the disciples were in Mark 9.33, must have been powerfully convicting and embarrassing. We are told that "they kept silent"-they were speechless at His inquiry. They were caught in a dispute over "who would be the greatest" (v. 34), possibly triggered by the privilege granted Peter, James, and John to witness the Transfiguration. The disciples' quarrel highlights their failure to apply Jesus' explicit teaching on humility (Matt. 5.3) and the example of His own suffering and death (vv. 31, 32; 8.30-33). It also prompted them to ask Jesus to settle the issue, which He did-though not as they had expected.
Jesus "sat down" (v. 35)-rabbis usually sat down to teach-and said that "if anyone desires to be first," as the disciples undeniably did (v. 34; see 10.35-37), "he shall be last of all and servant of all." The disciples' concept of greatness and leadership, drawn from their culture, needed to be completely reversed. Not those who lord their position over others are great in God's kingdom, but those who humbly serve others (see 10.31, 43-45; Matt. 19.30-20.16; 23.11, 12; Luke 13.30; 14.8-11; 18.14; 22.24-27).
Then Jesus took "a little child"-the Greek word indicates an infant or toddler. If the house they were in was Peter's, this may have been one of his children. The child became in Jesus' masterful teaching an example of believers who have humbled themselves and become like trusting children
Mark 9:33 NKJV
33 Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?”
Matthew 5:3 NKJV
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mark 8:30-33 NKJV
30 Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection
31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33 But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Mark 10:35-37 NKJV
35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”
36 And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
37 They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.”
Mark 10:31 NKJV
31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Mark 10:43-45 NKJV
43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever of you desires to be first 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.”
Matthew 20:1-16 NKJV
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’
8 “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ 9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. 11 And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ 13But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?
Matthew 23:11 NKJV
11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment