Daily Devotions

There are many gospel snippets of conversations Jesus had with his disciples. Take James and John, the sons of thunder. It is thought that Jesus so named the brothers this way due to their fiery, passionate, and sometimes impulsive personalities, which were likened to the power and intensity of thunder; the nickname reflects their bold zeal and quick reactions, particularly seen in an incident where they asked Jesus to call down fire from heaven upon a Samaritan village that rejected them.

On another occasion, James and John,  asked Jesus to give them prominent positions in his kingdom, requesting to sit at his right and left hand, essentially wanting to be the first among equals. Jesus responded by rebuking them, teaching that true greatness comes from serving others, not seeking power and position. 

James and John wanted to have the places of honour for themselves. We may well ask,  how often do we followers of Jesus get caught up seeking honours, titles and insignia, thinking that in this way they are honouring God! Jesus was interested rather in their willingness to drink the same cup that he was going to drink. Perhaps the right prayer is ask for the grace to be able to drink the cup offered us, and not to be seduced by the attractions of prestige.

The lesson to be learned here is that Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. Today it would be good to stay prayerfully with these words of Jesus and consider the truth of these words. May we allow these words call us too, to make them our own, as we desire to live a life of service to others.

God with us,

When we privilege our own agendas,

hurt others in the effort to impose our will,

or chain ourselves to our fears,

tumble us off the throne of our pride,

and release us into finding our worth in your love.

Lord have mercy on us

Lord Jesus Christ,

you know us, you love us, you free us,

then call us to follow you

and we bless you.

Your mercy meets us in our confusion;

may your spirit meet us in our everyday living. Amen