The Path to True Power

by Chris Pan, Executive Director

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to Jesus 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.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, “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. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:35-45)

Pastor Dan preached on Matthew’s account of this incident this past Sunday. Today we have the account from the Gospel of Mark, and the same theme of God’s upside-down Kingdom is present.

A few years ago I heard Professor Kyle Strobel from Biola University give a talk at our denominational conference. Strobel said that the American Evangelical Church always focuses on two topics that cause scandals: sex and money. If you look in the news, you’ll see plenty of stories of pastors being fired for inappropriate sexual conduct, or people arrested for embezzling money from their church. But Strobel said there is a third topic that we hardly ever talk about in the church, and that is POWER.

Strobel and Pastor Jamin Goggin wrote a book called “The Way of the Dragon and Way of Lamb: Searching for Jesus’ Path of Power in a Church that has Abandoned It.” Their hope was to highlight how even Christians have fallen into the trap of following the worldʻs path to power. The world says to climb to the top, even if it means hurting people along the way. But in Jesus’ upside-down Kingdom, it isnʻt so.

The disciples closest to Jesus, His closest friends, didn’t get caught up in a sex scandal or caught stealing money. But they did get caught up in clamoring and jockeying for power. In a way Jesus told them that if they want power, they have to first give it up.

As we continue on our 40-day fast, letʻs reflect on Jesus’ path of power:

“…whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

Prayer: Jesus, may I have a heart like Yours today – the heart of a servant. Amen.