“32 They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. They were astonished, but those who followed Him were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, He began to tell them the things that would happen to Him.

33 “Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn Him to death. Then they will hand Him over to the Gentiles, 34 and they will mock Him, spit on Him, flog Him, and kill Him, and He will rise after three days.”

35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached Him and said, “Teacher, we want You to do something for us if we ask You.”

36 “What do you want Me to do for you?” He asked them.

37 They answered Him, “Allow us to sit at Your right and at Your left in Your glory.”

38 But Jesus said to them, “You dont know what youre asking. Are you able to drink the cup I drink or to be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

39 “We are able,” they told Him.

Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with. 40 But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to give; instead, it is for those it has been prepared for.” 41 When the other 10 disciples heard this, they began to be indignant with James and John.

42 Jesus called them over and said to them, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and their men of high positions exercise power over them. 43 But it must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be a slave to all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life — a ransom for many.””

Mark 10:32-45

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If you are familiar with the narrative here, then stop right now, go back and re-read it. Slowly, picture the events and faces as conversation unfolds. What body language is being employed here? What gestures and expressions? 

This is not just some quick exchange on the road. Look at what Jesus is saying vs what James and John are asking. It’s like they’re not even hearing what He has to say, like they don’t know quite what to make of Him. They do not have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit yet. But what they do have is a common desire to see the Messiah do what they think needs to be done. 

Jesus explanation of that role doesn’t mesh with their current cultural desire and expectation. And yet again, we find Jesus redirecting people who think they know Him with the reality of Scripture and God’s truth. 

Jesus wasn’t going to change His role or God’s plan or truth to conform to what they wanted. The same is true today. People want to change truth. They want what is best for them and convenient. But Scripture does not bend or change according to social trends or shifting morays. It is authoritative for, not authorotated upon, society. 

God’s desire for gender roles, human sexuality, the care and justice shown to others, the poor, widows, orphans, the use of finances, personal accountability, the Great Commandments and Commissions…none of those have shifted or changed, twisted or been opened for ‘new’ interpretation or understanding. 

Jesus obviously knew better than the ‘Sons of Thunder’ what lay ahead on that road to Jerusalem. He taught them and the rest what Scripture said would actually happen. As nice as it would have been to quick start His reign, our salvation and redemption could not have been achieved through human understanding and means. 

As we GoLove others, it must be done with an understanding of the truth. Not a convenienced version of it, but the real ‘God’s honest’ truth. Delivered in love and compassion, but also unabashedly, the truth will put us in our place every time and ultimately help us understand even how suffering leads to glory. The easy road isn’t often the right one.