Christian Photographers Community

Mark 10:32 - 45
Attitudes In The World

What kind of attitude should you and I have as we walk through this world? What's the world's view of what it should be like? What does our Lord want it to be? What do you want it to be? Our attitudes are very visible, you know, and they're what make us what we are, whether it's like the world or different from it.

The passage before us today deals precisely with that subject. So we shouldn't see it merely as Jesus dealing with His disciples, but we should see it as our Master dealing directly with us. Let's try to see, then, how WE should respond - what OUR attitudes should be.

The disciples didn't want to go to Jerusalem! They knew that the entire sanhedrin, as well as all the priests, and the scribes - were just itching to get their hands on Jesus - and possibly upon them as well. But it was too late for them to worry because  Jesus had already made up His mind. Not only so, but while they were on their way He told them about His betrayal, condemnation, scourging, death, and resurrection. Just what they wanted to hear!

It was the third time during His earthly ministry that Jesus had predicted His death and resurrection. To the disciples' credit, they were beginning to have some sort of dim understanding of it all. They had a foggy notion of their Master somehow coming back, whether from near death or real death, coming back, they thought, to assume the throne over all Judaism and the world. The idea of an earthly messianic kingdom hadn't yet been entirely driven from their minds. But at least they had the beginnings of an understanding about resurrection. More understanding would come only with later events.

Even though they had that bit of understanding, however, what happens next just demonstrates how self centered  they – and the rest of us - can be. James and John, were thinking that, whatever else this "resurrection" amounted to, there was at least going to be some sort of kingdom triumph involved, and they saw an opportunity to place their own future status ahead of others. So they asked Jesus that they might sit one on the right and one on the left - ordinarily the top CEO positions – in the coming kingdom. And as one might expect, the rest of the disciples didn't take too kindly to the idea! Jesus had some things to say about it, too. But interestingly, He wasn't angry the way the rest of the disciples were.

His first words were directly to James and John. Since they wanted to be so close to Jesus in His kingdom, He asked them whether they were sure they could make it if they went through what He was about to go through to get there. With a total lack of understanding, they assured Him that they were tough, that they could take it, no matter what it was! Jesus, knowing that they weren't ready to fully understand yet, didn't explain.

He did say, however, that they would indeed have to "drink His cup" and be "baptized with His baptism." They didn't fully understand, but Jesus was preparing them for a time when they would have first-hand experience. They would be far better able to stand under the awful persecution they were going to have to face some day if they were aware that their Lord had predicted it.  It would help them immeasurably if they  knew that He knew  all about it, and that He Himself had come triumphantly through something far more terrible than they could ever experience.

It's what we need to know, too. We need to be persuaded that our Lord knows what we're going through right now and what we will go through in the future.  We also need to be persuaded that He Who went through much more can and will support us in any trial, no matter how difficult.

If a loved one dies, for instance, we need to know that our Lord knew the separation of death as we can never know it. He knew separation from His beloved Father in a way that far surpasses any separation we can ever experience. He understands. He's been there. And He's with us.

If we experience discouragement and disappointment in our lives, then we need to be aware that He experienced it too. We read, "For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted . . . for we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted (tried) as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb. 2:18, 4:15, 16) James and John were being prepared by Jesus' words. So are we.

After predicting their future, Jesus answered their question directly: ". . . to sit on My right hand and My left hand is not Mine to give, since it is for those for whom it is prepared." Why did He tell them this? Shouldn't He have simply rebuked them for even asking? Shouldn't He have reacted in approximately the same way as did the rest of the disciples? Isn't He angry with these power grabbers?

Verses 41-45 make it clear that Jesus was not angry with them. Of course He didn't single out James and John at least in part because He knew that the rest of the disciples really had the same tendency! He simply used the occasion to teach them all. He wanted them to understand that the kingdom they were going to be in was unique, that attitudes in it were going to be quite different from those of worldly organizations.

The modern coporate view is that the best employee should have a forward-looking, aggressive, ambitious attitude about rising through the ranks to the highest possible level. Of course it has to be a "team approach," an approach that doesn't disrupt good working relationships among fellow employees, but it also has to be ambitious. The boss expects you to want to advance. He expects you to improve yourself by taking classes, working long hours, and learning more and more. By doing these things you not only advance, but you become more valuable to the organization. That's why he wants you to be ambitious. He doesn't mind that you don't do it merely to benefit him. He doesn't mind if you do it to get ahead. He wants people like you to get ahead. He believes it'll get the business ahead as well.

If you, even as a Christian employee, have this "corporate attitude," you'll be successful in your worldly calling. It works! It's admired by the world. But there's also an alternative, and it's spelled out here by our Lord. It isn't a slovenly attitude. Nor is it a slavish attitude that avoids advancement or downplays abilities. It isn't an attitude that avoids more education, long hours, or learning more of the business. But with all that, it's still an attitude that's entirely unique in the world.

Jesus said it so beautifully: "It's not going to be that way among you! Instead, whoever wants to become great among you shall be your servant, And whoever wants to be first shall be the servant of all, for (even) the Son of Man didn't come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many!"

He says it's ok to want to become great, it really is - but it's a different kind of greatness. In fact, it's even ok to be ambitious, but it has to be a different kind of ambition - an ambition to be really good at reflecting the beautiful character of our Lord. If you do reflect that character, you may appear to others to have the "corporate attitude" - because the obvious results will not be so different, but your Lord will know, and He will rejoice in you.

Let's look at how the Christian attitude is different. First and foremost, there's the team approach. The corporate manager wants you to support and work well with others and to blend your abilities with theirs so that the whole group produces results. The Christian does the same, but he does it for very different reasons: he wants to glorify his Lord by being the best he can be, and he deals with his coworkers in the love of Christ, a love that seeks their best. Love to God and love to man replace selfish ambition. Ideally, the Christian worker goes home at night praying for his fellow workers, his boss, the company prosperity, and his own performance. Instead of serving only his own advancement, he's serving His Lord and others.

When the Christian does something well on the job, he doesn't go to the boss and "blow his own horn." Not that he will deny his accomplishment if questioned (he'll make sure the Lord is praised), but he'll also seek the best for his coworkers. And his love to them will be genuine. As was the case with our Lord, he'll be willing to "give his life" - to give away for the sake of others any glory that might come to him .

We need to notice that Jesus spoke to all the disciples about this unique servanthood. James and John were the ones who tried to "get ahead," but Jesus spoke to all of them. He had good reason. The rest of the disciples were jealous of James and John - thus showing the same spirit James and John had shown! They didn't want James and John to "get ahead," because they may very well have wanted an equal opportunity to do so themselves!

And our Lord's teaching was preserved for us as well. Do you suppose it could be because we have the same tendencies?

But there's one thing especially encouraging for us here. Our Lord mentions His own example of giving "His life a ransom for many." That just tells us that He Himself had the greatest attitude of all. He has often been called the "Servant-King," and Isaiah called Him the "Suffering Servant." His was the greatest-ever example of self sacrifice. And He dwells in our hearts - we live and love by His Spirit!

That just means that, because He lives within our hearts, we too can have this attitude of servanthood. The thing we need more than anything else is the right motive, a motive of love for Christ and love for others, and I for one am thankful that His Spirit dwells within me, because I know I could never have the right motives without having Him. But praise His Name, I have Him, and He has me, and I can therefore grow in loving servanthood. And so can you.  I don't know about you, but I know that I need to have that attitude of servanthood everywhere - here in the church, at home, and on the job.

Sometimes it seems like a very subtle thing – the actions are the same for the "corporate employee, with the only a difference being in the motive. The motivation is love - love to our Lord first, then love to others. But since He moves within, in our hearts, it can therefore actually happen. And of course, as with everything else in the Christian life, it happens by prayer and by using the Word to become more acquainted with the great Servant-King. I pray that my Lord will move in me to glorify and please Him - in the business world, the home, the school, and among His people in the church. I pray it for you as well.

Oh, my!  What a full course meal this is for me today, Al.  I'm going to go over it again with my Bible. 

Thanks for your faithfulness is putting in these studies week by week.

Wonderful

I was told that the best attitude is the BE-attitude, to be the best one can for Jesus.

 

Quoteto be the best one can for Jesus

I might add (as I'm sure you also would) "to be the best one can by Jesus."

Thank-you dear Pastor. This has blessed me this afternoon.

Lord help me to do and "be" the best I can 'by' Him and 'in' Him and
'with' Him (Jesus).

Self centredness is a weakness which I for one try to evercome.  It is hard.

"But let Christ have the whole heart and He will keep the whole life."  Andrew Murray.

God bless,Jenny