Thought

James and John’s mother came to Jesus and asked Him to bless her sons with a high honor in His kingdom—a seat on His right hand and on His left. They were wanting to be powerful and have places of greatness in the kingdom of God. But Jesus told them that if they wanted those positions, they’d have to be willing to sacrifice as much as He was willing to do. In other words, the disciples and their mother had no idea what they were requesting. Jesus used the moment to teach the disciples about true greatness—wise leaders know that they must first learn how to serve everyone before they can become great.

Word

Mark 10:45 NIV

[Jesus said,] “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.

Question

What’s your favorite seat in your house?

Many families have a special seat in the house that everyone wants to sit in, or siblings sometimes fight to sit in the front seat of the car. What’s your favorite seat in your house?

Challenge

Jesus said that He did not “come to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45). What is one thing that others typically do for you now that you could learn how to do? For example, it might be that your mom or dad makes you dinner, does your laundry, or washes the car. Choose one chore that someone else usually does for you and learn how to do it yourself, and then do that task for others too!

Prayer

God, thank You for showing me what’s best, even when I want something different. Amen.