"Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else." - St. Mark 9:35
"But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck." - St. Mark 9:42
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus
As we enter the fourth day of the Great Lent, I would like to take your attention to the above two key verses of today's Gospel Reading which is taken from the Gospel of St. Mark 9:30-42.
As we start reading, Jesus is seen to be predicting His death, interestingly it is also His last tour through the region of Galilee after leaving Caesarea Philippi. Since the time the 12 disciples started following Jesus, there has been a constant struggle among them regarding their importance in their group, as to who is greater than the other. Even today, in our daily lives, we are always caught up in our struggles to get famous in life. But do we really compare our motives to what God has set for our lives? It is always painful to compare our motive's to Christ. It is not wrong for believers to be industrious or ambitious, but when ambition pushes aside obedience and service, it becomes sin. Pride and insecurity can cause us to overvalue position and prestige. The only safe ambition is directed towards Christ's Kingdom, not our own advancement. We must renounce pride and status seeking, because they are Satan's tools, not Christ's.
Further Jesus describes leadership from a new perspective. Instead of using people, we are to serve them. Serving others is real leadership. Jesus Himself set up the example by coming down from His Heavenly abode in the form of the humble man to be slaughtered like a sacrificial lamb. He teaches us that a real leader should have a serving heart. What is the benefits of a serving heart? Servant leaders appreciate other's worth and realize they are not above any job. If you see something needs to be dons, then take the initiative and do it like a faithful servant, without expecting high positions, honors, special privileges. Do the job to glorify Christ in your work and to help others.
Lastly He is giving a warning to those who lead others astray on the wrong paths. We as followers of Christ Jesus are meant to show others the way to Jesus. But how do we do that? In our church, we can be leaders, speakers and teachers to teach the young ones about Christ. But is that the only way? We are to guide others to Christ, even those with weak faith by setting an example with our own lives. Through Christian fellowship. But beware, those who teach wrong teachings about Christ to lead the weak astray.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, lets all pray to our loving Father in Heaven that He may help us to make Christ's Kingdom our ambition in life and to do all that we do with a serving heart. Let us also pray that we may be able to guide the lost and the unfaithful to the true Light of the world.
Your Brother in Christ Jesus
Jobin
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