Quote from Forum Archives on March 24, 2011, 11:59 am

Posted by: edwrather <edwrather@...>

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The Burning Bush Devotional
Welcome to the 3864 new subscribers since January 1, 2011!!
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Classic from 2003

03.24.11

I, Me, and Myself - Part 2

But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who
are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great
ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but
whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever
of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man
did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for
many." - Mark 10:42-45.

When I was a child in grade school, it was always important to be first. To
be first in line to go to recess, was vitally important, in order to lay
claim to one of the few swings on the playground. To be first in line to go
to lunch, meant having precious extra minutes playing, and being able to lay
claim to one of those swings. As I grew older, I learned the value of making
more than the minimum wage. Receiving a promotion, and making more money
seemed to be a reasonable thing to desire. Climbing the career ladder, at
least at first, did not have negative connotations; but was a very positive
thing. The farther up the ladder a person climbed, the closer they came to
being first. At the top of the ladder, a person would be first in power,
first in financial reward, and as far as the material world is concerned,
first in importance. The importance of being first has unknowingly been
ingrained into most people at an early age. This process continues into
adulthood although different definitions and incentives are used.

The idea of becoming great by becoming a servant or slave to others was
certainly repugnant to most people during the time of Jesus. It was probably
more shocking during the time Jesus walked physically on this earth, than it
is now, because people were more familiar with what slaves and servants were
back then. Servants and slaves did all the repulsive and unpleasant things
that those with money and power did not want to do. They did those repulsive
and unpleasant things, and received very little in the way of compensation
other than food to eat. There was little interest among the disciples in
stooping to become a servant to others. They did not begin following Jesus
to become servants. They were following Jesus, and in their heart of hearts,
thought they were moving onward and upward to better lives.

For the modern mind, climbing down the ladder, instead of climbing up the
ladder is repulsive. We have constantly received encouragement and rewards
for climbing up, not climbing down. How can we give up our position of
prominence, by climbing down to help someone, who does not even make minimum
wage? How can we stoop to help someone, when it will not benefit us
personally in some way? How can we give up our lives, to save some other
person's life? But isn't this what Jesus is calling His disciples, and us to
do?

The disciples did give up their lives in service, and tradition tells us
that all but John lost their lives in martyrdom. What changed their hearts?
When the disciples witnessed their Lord crucified, buried, and then His
resurrection; it changed them forever. They then lived through faith in
their Lord and Savior, and we must too. As the apostle Paul says, "I have
been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in
me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20)."

Copyright © 2003-2011. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the
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