To Serve or Not to Serve

By Rev. Heidi L. Barham |  October 20, 2024

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Read  Mark 10:35 – 45

Our New Testament lesson this morning comes from the Gospel of Mark.  But before we take a closer look at the text, I thought it might be helpful to remind us of a few facts about Mark’s Gospel.
 
Of all the Gospels, it is widely believed that the Gospel of Mark was the first to be written.  It is interesting to note that all but 31 verses of Mark are quoted in one or more of the other three Gospels.  It is also worth noting that Mark records more miracles than any of the other Gospels. 
 
It is actually the shortest of the four Gospels... and it cuts straight to the heart of Jesus’ ministry on earth.  Some would say that Mark’s gospel has a sense of urgency to it... this is borne out by the fact that while the word “immediately” can be found roughly 75 times in the Revised Standard Version of the Bible... 34 of those occurrences are found in the Gospel of Mark... including 9 times within just the first chapter!
 
Now in addition to the sense of urgency that characterizes this Gospel... Mark paints a picture of Jesus as the Suffering Servant... the One who gave His very life as a sacrifice for the sins of others... including you and me.
 
And keeping all of this in mind, let us now turn our attention to our text for the morning as we reflect on the subject:  TO SERVE OR NOT TO SERVE
 
In some versions of the Bible, this particular passage of Scripture comes under the heading, “The Request of James and John.”  However, in the Life Application Study Bible, the heading reads, “Jesus Teaches about Serving Others.”
 
Now, several years ago, this passage served as the text for a sermon I preached entitled, “To Serve with Love,” a play on the title of a 1967 movie and its theme song... “To Sir, with Love,” which starred Sidney Poitier. 
 
In that film, Sidney Poitier’s character applied for a job as an engineer but while he was awaiting a response to his application... he accepted a job as a teacher at a high school in the East End of London.  Although his students tried to give him a run for his money... he ended up teaching them many valuable life lessons while learning a pretty valuable lesson himself about what it means to serve with love.
 
And that brings us to today.  And as we take another look at this text, the question before us is TO SERVE OR NOT TO SERVE.
 
Now, when James and John came to Jesus, they came with an agenda.  And it was a pretty presumptuous one at that.  According to the text, the two brothers walked up to Jesus and made a rather bold request, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”
 
And kind of like a server at your favorite eatery who might ask, “What can I get for you this evening?” Jesus asked them, “What do you want me to do for you?”
 
In spite of the bold presumption of the two brothers... Jesus was rather matter of fact about the whole thing.  Given that same scenario, I am not so sure I would not have had something a little more colorful to say in response to a request to simply “do whatever we ask.” 
 
Of course, it is a pretty safe bet that Jesus already knew what James and John had in mind... even before they made their request.
 
Now, when James and John said, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory,” ...they were, in essence, asking Jesus to give them the highest places of honor.  Talk about being REALLY presumptuous!
 
But Jesus let them know that they had no clue what they were really asking for... this was more than just having a prestigious seat at the head table at a banquet.
 
So Jesus asked them if they were up to the task... were they able to drink from the cup that He would drink... or be baptized in the baptism that He was being plunged into?
 
In other words, “Can you live up to the harsh realities of what I am being faced with?  Do you have any idea of what comes with the territory when you sit in this seat of honor?” 
 
And while James and John said they could do it... and Jesus confirmed that they indeed would do it... Jesus also told them that it was not up to Him to award anyone those seats of honor.
 
 Now as you might imagine... while all of this was going on, the other ten disciples were standing by... watching and listening to the exchange.  And the text lets us know that they were none too happy with James and John for making such an outlandish request.   In fact, the text says the ten disciples were indignant. 
 
Just who do those two think they are, asking to sit at the right and left hand of Jesus in glory?  What gives them the right to even think they should be up there with Him? 
 
But before they could go too far off the deep end... Jesus pulled them all together and explained things to them.  The Message Paraphrase says Jesus put it like this:

“You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage.”

James and John were not just looking for positions of honor in Jesus’ kingdom... they were, in fact, asking for the highest positions... right next to Jesus.  But as they soon found out... true greatness does not come simply as a result of one’s proximity to power... true greatness comes from a willingness to serve others.
 
If we were to take a look at most businesses and organizations these days... it would probably not surprise us to see that their standard of success and achievement is vastly different than God’s standard. 
 
Contrary to what the world would have us to believe... striving to come out on top is a hindrance... it is not a help.  In Christ’s kingdom, selflessness and a willingness to serve others is the way to get ahead. 
 
In fact, the disciple Peter, had this to say about being willing to serve others:

Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2 – 3).

We ought to be looking for ways to serve others... to minister to their needs... rather than seeking ways to have our own needs met.
 
TO SERVE OR NOT TO SERVE... that is the question.
 
However, we are living in a day and time when selfish ambition seems to be the order of the day... but it is certainly not God’s order.  In fact, the Apostle Paul told the Philippian Church, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3 – 4).
 
It was not all that long ago when “Looking out for number one” was considered to be the key to success... but that all depended upon your definition of true success... and more importantly... who you designated as number one.
 
And as we wrestle with that question, TO SERVE OR NOT TO SERVE... we should keep in mind that the number one we ought to be looking out for should be The One who came not to be served but to serve... The One who gave His very life as a ransom for many.
 
Now, in biblical days, a ransom was the price paid to release a slave... and through His death on the cross... Jesus paid the price to release all of us from our slavery to sin. 
 
Perhaps you may have heard it said (probably by me) that Jesus paid a debt He didn’t owe because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay. 
 
It is in Romans 3:23 that we read, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” while Romans 6:23 tells us, “For the wages of sin is death,” ...however, thanks be to God, the rest of that verse goes on to say, “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
 
It is a gift of God’s grace that we do not have to pay the price that our sin deserves... simply because God loves us so very much that He sent His Son and our Savior to take on the punishment for us.
 
There was no doubt what Jesus’ answer would be to that question TO SERVE OR NOT TO SERVE... He did not hesitate when He made the choice to serve... to give His life in exchange for ours.
 
It is as Jesus, Himself, said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13), which is exactly what He did for each one of us.
 
And what does He desire from us in return? 
 
Simply to love one another. 
 
If we were to look over to John 21:15 – 18, we would find a story about Jesus questioning Peter about his love for Him. 
 
Jesus first asked, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”  And Peter responded “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”  To which Jesus replied, “Feed my lambs.” 
 
Then Jesus asked him a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”  And again, Peter said, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”  To which Jesus responded, “Take care of my sheep.” 
 
And then one more time... for good measure... Jesus asked Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”  And poor Peter... exasperated and hurt by Jesus repeatedly questioning his love for Him said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”  And Jesus told Peter, “Feed my sheep.”
 
So, what is Jesus’ point here?  Why does He seem to keep asking Peter the same question over and over again?
 
Well to get to the heart of the matter, we have to look at the original Greek text, because although the English translations all use the same word “love” in this passage, that is not how it was originally written.
 
The first time that Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him more than these, the word used is “agape,” which is a self-sacrificial, unconditional type of love so, Jesus is asking if Peter loves Him unconditionally... more than anyone else.
 
The second time, Jesus focuses on Peter alone, but still uses the word agape.  But by the third time, Jesus uses the word “phileo” which is characterized as a brotherly, affectionate, love... in effect, asking, “Are you even my friend?”
 
Because each time that Peter had responded to Jesus... he had not used the word “agape” but repeatedly used the word “phileo.”
 
“Peter, do you love me unconditionally?”  “Yes, Lord, you know I love you like a brother.”
 
“Peter, do you really love me unconditionally?”  “Yes, Lord, you know I have brotherly affection for you.”
 
“Peter… are you even my friend?”  “Yes, Lord, you know everything, you already know that I love you like a brother.”
 
Now as they went back and forth with these questions and answers... Jesus issued a call to serve in response to each of Peter’s declarations of love.  Feed my lambs, take care of my sheep, feed my sheep... each time Jesus issued the command... He was really giving Peter the opportunity to make the critical decision TO SERVE OR NOT TO SERVE.
 
And the same command to serve and care for others is presented to us as well... to ALL those who love the Lord. 
 
It is a call to serve those whom Jesus cares about... to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to offer shelter to the homeless, to clothe the naked, to look after the sick and to visit the imprisoned.
 
It is a call to serve those that many would consider the last, the lost and the least... and it is an opportunity for each of us to make the crucial decision TO SERVE OR NOT TO SERVE.
 
And if you have heard that call and have made the decision TO SERVE rather than NOT TO SERVE, then I want to invite you to stand and join in singing our Hymn of Discipleship #612: O Jesus, I Have Promised (to serve thee to the end).

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