LENT 5 – March 21, 2021 – Mark 10:35-45
“CHRISTIAN AMBITION”
Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Gospel Lesson just read, from Mark 10. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- In some respects, I suppose it doesn’t surprise us that James and John had so much ambition. They had delusions of earthly grandeur, of Jesus sitting on an earthly throne ruling over the world. They wanted to get a word in first about being right there next to Jesus, the two most important advisers to Him, in His glory.
- On the other hand, surely they had paid at least some attention to what Jesus had said about His suffering, death, and resurrection. Surely they seen how He had suffered rejection and disrespect from so many people, including the religious leaders. Surely they knew He had come to serve not to rule over others and to be served. And the indignation of the other disciples showed two things: that the request was inappropriate and irritating, and secondly, that the other disciples had some of the same kind of ambition as well!
- For the most part, human ambition within the church is like this – it causes trouble and does not serve others. Likewise, the exercise of an earthly type of authority within the fellowship of the church also creates trouble. The church is moved and motivated by the Gospel of God’s love. This means that our motivation comes from within, from the inside out, and cannot be coerced or manipulated. Jesus addresses this also in our text.
- Nonetheless, Jesus does not criticize James and John directly, or the other disciples for any of this. He does not criticize ambition but rather encourages all of us to seek “greatness” within the kingdom. However, this involves “drinking the cup” that Jesus drank, and serving as Jesus served. So we see in our text that:
I. We Should Indeed Aim High In The Kingdom
A. But We Must Count The Cost: Jesus’ Cup And Baptism
Text: “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. . . . You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”
B. We Must Also Understand That Our Place Within The Kingdom Here And Now, And Also In The Kingdom To Come, Is Not By Reward, But Always By God’s Grace
Text: “To sit at My right hand or at My left hand is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
C. So We Must Always Beware Of Sinful Pride, Envy, And Anger Toward Others
Text: “When the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John.”
Statement: Unfortunately, most of the time we suffer with a heavy dose of the sinful nature, even when we are seeking good things. This is what Isaiah was referencing when he wrote: “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” [Is. 64:6] And so we are wary when we see ambitiousness expressed within the church, and often the dangers are clearly seen in our pride and stubbornness and our desire to get our own way, to exercise power over others. And we may also be wary of ourselves, not really allowing ourselves to be ambitious. But you know the opposite extreme from greedy ambition is laziness – which is also an aspect of our sinful nature.
Application: So we need to see the balance, as much of and as good of ambition as we can muster. Jesus does not discourage us from seeking to be great in love and service to Him and to others! But He does warn against the dynamics of our sinful nature, the dynamics by which the world is oriented and organized. And so:
II. Let Us Always Aim High In The Kingdom Of God And To Fulfill Christ’s Will
A. This Means There Is To Be No “Earthly” Kind Of Authority In The Church
Text: “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you.”
B. Rather, Leadership And Greatness In The Church Is By Servanthood – Like Christ’s Serving, Which Brought Us Salvation
Text: “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Statement: Unfortunately, it is precisely the prideful kind of earthly authority that our sinful nature craves, and it makes perfect sense to us that we should be the ones exercising it over others. Our sinful nature thinks this way: “If there is no perk or reward for taking on responsibility and serving, then why do it? Let someone else do it! But if I can be considered a big shot and a great one, and if I have the power, well then maybe I’ll do the extra work!” And again, this makes sense to our sinful nature even within the fellowship of the church. But Jesus makes quite clear that this is not to be the case.
Application: So we understand immediately that His encouragement to us to be the servant of all, and the slave of all, is quite a different calling to “greatness.” We do not associate servant-hood or slavery to be great and ennobling! Rather, we see them as humiliating or at the least humbling. And our pride and self-image can hardly abide even thinking about this.
But in the light of love, Jesus’ great self-sacrificial and serving love for us, we can begin to see the beauty and nobility of following Him in the ways of service and love! So, we are moved to confess our sins of selfishness and pride, and to take our place in Jesus’ forgiveness and mercy. We are encouraged to spend time with Him, to hear the assurances that our sins, though many, are all forgiven. And within this love and humility it begins to make sense that we should serve and give ourselves for the good of others.
Conclusion: So let us avoid the kind of self-serving ambition that the disciples exhibited, especially James and John. But let us take care not to indulge our laziness either! It would be a terrific thing to belong to a whole church full of people who were ambitiously seeking the greatness Jesus holds out to us. May God grant it to us all, even as we rejoice in His love and His service to us. Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.