Greatness Means Serving
Month 9: The Road to Jerusalem · Loving Others
Today's Scripture
Read together: Mark 10:35–44
35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and declared, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.” 36 “What do you want Me to do for you?” He inquired. 37 They answered, “Grant that one of us may sit at Your right hand and the other at Your left in Your glory.” 38 “You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus replied. “Can you drink the cup I will drink, or be baptized with the baptism I will undergo?” 39 “We can,” the brothers answered. “You will drink the cup that I drink,” Jesus said, “and you will be baptized with the baptism that I undergo. 40 But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to grant. These seats belong to those for whom they have been prepared.” 41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42 So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all.
Memory Verse
“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.””— Mark 10:45 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Ezekiel 43–45
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 260 of 365 — the priests are set apart to minister; in the kingdom, every believer is called to serve.)The Heart of It
James and John pull Jesus aside with a bold request. "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory." They want the top spots, the best seats, the most honor. When the other ten disciples hear it, they are furious. Probably they wanted those seats too! So Jesus gathers them and gently rewires everything they think about greatness. In the world, He says, the rulers "lord it over" people and throw their weight around. "But it shall not be so among you." In Jesus' kingdom the math is flipped: "Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all."
That lands us right at our memory verse. Jesus Himself, the greatest of all, "did not come to be served, but to serve" (). Loving others isn't mainly about being nice when it's convenient. It's about choosing the lower place on purpose, the way Jesus did. It means doing the unseen job. It means letting your sibling go first. It means cleaning up a mess you didn't make. It means serving the person who can't pay you back. The world climbs up to be great. Jesus says we get great by going down in love. And that's exactly where we find Him. He is already serving, already washing feet, already pouring Himself out for us.
Around the Table
Jesus' friends wanted the best seats. But Jesus said the greatest people are the ones who help! When we serve, we're being like Jesus.
Let's do it: Pick one helper job right now — set the table, pick up toys — and do it with a smile, "like Jesus!"
The disciples wanted to be the boss. But Jesus said that in His kingdom, the great ones are the servants. That's the opposite of how the world thinks.
Let's talk: Who is someone you could serve this week who can't pay you back? What is one job you could do without being asked?
Jesus contrasts worldly power with kingdom greatness. Worldly rulers "lord it over" people. Kingdom greatness looks like servanthood. And He grounds it in His own self-giving (). Leadership in Christ's family means going lower, not higher.
Let's go deeper: Where do you secretly want the "best seat"? Maybe you want to be noticed, or first, or in charge. What would it look like to choose the servant's place there instead?
💬 Conversation Starter
Who is the most helpful person you know? How can you tell they're great, even if they're not famous?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Some say Christianity props up power and bosses people around. But Jesus said the exact opposite to His own leaders. "It shall not be so among you." The great one is the servant. Wherever the church has truly followed Jesus, it has built hospitals, schools, and orphanages. We can point to that legacy kindly and confidently ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
Don't miss how patient Jesus is with two ambitious disciples right after He has foreshadowed His own death. He doesn't crush their desire to be great. He redirects it. The longing to matter isn't sinful. It just has to be aimed at the cross instead of the throne. This is one of the most important things you can model as a father. Your children are watching to see what "headship" in our home looks like. Does it look like the rulers who "lord it over"? Or does it look like the One who serves? Authority in a Christian home is real. But it's the authority of a servant. It is the kind that gets up first, carries the heaviest load, and asks for forgiveness when it fails. Lead by washing feet, and your kids will learn what greatness actually is.
Draws on: Andrew Murray, Humility; R. T. France, The Gospel of Mark (NIGTC).
Let's Pray Together
"Father, take away our hunger for the best seat. Give us a heart to serve like Jesus. Show us someone to love today. Help us go low in love. In Jesus' name, amen."
The way up in God's kingdom is down. I get great by serving.