The point of the story, however, is to show that such an attitude is completely upside down. For one thing, it totally disrupts the sense of community that was shared among Jesus' followers. They were indignant - for good reason! A rivalry was brewing, so Jesus turned the tables:
Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
There, in a nutshell, is one of the keys to kingdom living. James and John were looking out for themselves and trying to build their own kingdoms. I tend to think that the indignation of the other disciples was similarly motivated. Jesus, however, says that the essence of His kingdom is in serving others. It is all about self-denial, not self-aggrandizement. And obviously Jesus set the tone. He said these things in the midst of His journey to Jerusalem, where He knew a gruesome death awaited Him.
If the disciples can so totally miss this point, I think it is safe to say that we can too. Are you building your own kingdom or participating in Christ's kingdom? Do you serve others or try to manipulate them to your own end?
Today, let's examine our hearts, our prayers, and our actions and see which kingdom we're building.
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