Today’s Reflection
Even the Christ does not get to do whatever he wants. Even the Christ defers to the authority of God. The path of faith is not the exercise of personal prerogative. … Jesus challenges the church to have a view and practice of authority that is precisely opposite to the wider culture of that day and our own. “Lording it over” others is not how Christian community functions, no matter how efficiently it seems to work in the corporate world or political backrooms. Power and privilege reside in service. If you want to be first in line, you take care of all the others in line first.
—John Indermark, Gospeled Lives: Encounters with Jesus, A Lenten Study (Upper Room Books, 2008)
Today’s Question
Where might you find opportunities to serve others today? Join the conversation.
Today’s Scripture
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”
—Mark 10:35-37 (NRSV)
Prayer for the Week
Holy One, challenge me today to see the world as you see it. Challenge me to seek your way and to not settle for what might be the norm.
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.
Something More
At times, life seems like a jumble of loose ends, but God sees from another perspective—weaving a tapestry of life and redemption for the whole world, with each person’s story as part of that narrative. Discover God Was with Me All Along: A Guide for Capturing Your Memories and Telling Your Story, new from Upper Room Books.
Lectionary Readings
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
https://youtu.be/gEQ0jBQwKeE
