James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, ‘Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.’ And he said to them, ‘What is it you want me to do for you?’ And they said to him, ‘Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.’ Mark 10:35-37
This is quite a strange request!
Perhaps a little bit of context might help to appreciate its strangeness. Jesus had just told his disciples that they were going to Jerusalem where he will be tried and crucified. The apostles were taken by fear and Jesus did very little to appease them. In reality, there was nothing He could say that would be amenable. There are tragic things in life that are just inevitable, as much as we like to avoid them. His imminent death was one of them.
In the light of this, it appears as if the brothers were being callous with their bizarre request. However, there is enough information about them in the gospels to paint a more faithful picture of their character. To say they were a little feisty would be an understatement. They also tended to lean towards the violent side. When a Samaritan town refused passage for Jesus and his disciples, they wanted to destroy it. On another occasion, John wanted to prohibit a man using Jesus’ name to cure someone. He was willing to do anything to protect His Lord. John identified himself as Jesus’ favorite. At least, he seemed to hint at it in the fourth gospel. All this shows us that these brothers were not impervious to Jesus’ psychological and emotional state as He talked about his impending death. They wanted to take charge of the situation. Like most of us at times, they felt that God needs a little help from us to set things right. Therefore, it was necessary for them to have the power and authority do whatever was necessary to establish the Kingdom of God; maybe even prevent Jesus’ death in the process.
The brothers were being very human. We can appreciate this because we are just like them. Whenever we are threatened with chaos and possible destruction, we take refuge in our base human nature. A certain notoriously anti-Christian philosopher delighted in this aspect of our human nature. He called it our barbaric nature. He claimed that kingdoms and civilizations were established because of this barbaric nature within us. He is right. The Persians, Babylonians, Greeks and Romans did not establish their empire through love. They established it by showing brutal force and violence. Our human nature delights in this. We read and admire the feats of these mighty and violent conquerers. We watch movies about them. Their values and principles are constantly shaping our hearts and minds. Little by little it draws us away from the principles and values of our Lord.
John and James wanted to wield power over the enemies of Jesus. They were not being egocentric but just worldly minded. The same philosopher I mentioned criticized Christianity because it taught something contrary to our human nature. He claimed that Christianity was anti-human or rather anti-life. He was wrong unfortunately. Christianity has succumbed many times to this barbaric nature. This barbaric nature is strong in us. The philosopher was also wrong that Jesus was against our human nature. He did not negate our nature but showed us how to become truly human. Even this philosopher, in contradictory terms, admitted this about Jesus.
Jesus conquered this barbaric nature within us. He died without succumbing to it. The temptations were there. In this story, John and James were a temptation to Him. At the passion, Peter drew a sword to protect Jesus. He was another temptation. The crowds provoked Jesus hoping that His barbaric nature would come out. They were disappointed. Jesus overcame this nature and conquered and transformed the world without shedding one drop of blood except His very own.
There are no secrets with Jesus. He shares with us how to overcome this barbaric nature within us. He reveals His secret,
“You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.” Mark 10:42-44
Jesus is turning our world upside down. He is starting a revolution here. In order to fully comprehend His kingdom we need to abandon the old and embrace the new. The “old” made us look at kings and queens or those who hold power for solution. The Kingdom of God points to the lowest class in society. Servants in the New Testament are many times synonymous with slaves. Jesus pointed to the lowest member of society’s social ladder as an example for us to emulate. This is as revolutionary and radical today as it was in Jesus’ time. We may be scientifically and technologically more advanced than our ancestors but we still look to rulers and tyrants to be our examples. No one notices the servants. These are still considered to be the weak ones.
Of course, we know that slaves did not serve their masters with love but many times with justifiable disdain. Slaves become slaves throughout history through violence and brutal dominance. The radical difference in the gospel is the servants are those who have embraced the transformative power of Love. John and James were interested in power. Jesus pointed them towards Love and Love expresses itself through service. Jesus became a servant because of Love. We cannot appreciate the true value of Jesus’ example unless we encounter the Love which transformed Jesus into a willing and loving slave. Even just writing this seems to feel unnatural and strange. It goes against our human nature. This is good. The gospel is about radically changing how we think and act in this world. Jesus is revealing to us something new because He wants us to be noble beings like Himself. Our true happiness lies in it.
The question is whether this way of living is something practical in this world where brutal force and violence reign supreme.
First of all, it empowers each and everyone. All of us can become servants. It doesn’t matter what state we find ourselves in this life. If we allow the Love of God to conquer our hearts, we can become effective revolutionaries for the Kingdom of God. Secondly it is much more effective and eternal than any actions of the so-called heroes which this world have produced.
In my life, I have been excited and disappointed by countless politicians. They are also very forgettable. They don’t mark my life. However, the simple gesture of a pastor who received my friend and I into his house and spent time just listening to our insecure teenage plans and goals has influenced the way I live my life forever. Being servant is actually very easy but requires sacrifice. Sometimes it starts with a simple sacrifice like giving up our place to help someone in need.
More recently, I saw a couple in line to enter a very busy and cheap restaurant. Usually people wait for a long time to get into the place and after a long wait this couple were finally first in line. Just then a woman stumbled pass them behaving like a drunk person. Most people ignored her and she stumbled into the street and almost got hit by a car. The couple gave up their place to help her. I watched the whole scene from a short distance. The woman wasn’t drunk but something was wrong with her. She was feeling a little disoriented. We decided to help too. We already had our lunch so we told the couple to go ahead with their lunch and we would take over. The couple lost their place and had to go back to the line. There were many people who saw this woman but they were only ones to sacrifice their place to help her. We managed to get the woman to her home safely and we walked passed the couple. They asked about her welfare and we assured her that she was safe. We don’t know the name of the couple. However, their simple gesture marked me. It gave me hope. It reminded me that the Kingdom of God is alive and real. The couple lost their place in line but they found a place in our souls.
This is not a feel-good story to end this reflection. However, it is a living proof that if we want to live a revolutionary life which brings forth true transformation, then we need to follow the footsteps of the One who came to serve and not to serve. This young couple, if they continue to respond to the compassionate promptings of the Holy Spirit, will leave their marks in the lives of many people. All of us can serve, even our homeless children and youth. We encourage them to do it. I am happy to say that some of them have responded to this challenge. They are still homeless but they are making an impact in people’s lives much more than any politicians or people who wield power in this world can ever do. This is the revolutionary lifestyle Jesus challenges us to live. It is going to leave eternal marks of love in people’s lives. Most important of all, it is the key to living our lives as complete and noble human beings.
To be great in the Kingdom of God is become the servant of all.
