Leaders Serve

Read Mark 10:10-52, 14:3-9, Matthew 19:3-30
 
Mark 10:42-45 So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 43 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
 
JESUS’ great gift to you is his life as a ransom for your sins. That means he has paid with his life the price of your soul. He’s a servant-king. Are you, in response, a servant-follower?
   Servant following means you have opened your heart to first empty your own desires. Then you keep your heart’s door open to receive the Lord Jesus’ love. When you are filled in his love, servant-following is easy. How, then, does his love fill you?
   Think about the best relationship you have. Why is this relationship so good? Likely you’ve been through some things together. You have helped each other through some struggles. You have spent time sharing encouraging words and acts of kindness. Each of you have given up your own desires to please the other. What happens when the friend calls and says, “Come. I need help.” You go because you love your friend with a special grace and joy.
   The same thing happens when you love Jesus. When you spend time getting to know him through the Bible, speaking to him and listening to him, you will come to know his great love for you. You will then love him more deeply. In this way you become his eager servant-follower, joyful to know God so personally.
   This is Jesus’ desire for your life. Rejoice he has demonstrated his great love for you. Go to him and live in a joyful love with your Creator.
 
Mark 14:6-7 But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? 7 You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me.”
 
A woman pours out a jar of very expensive perfume over Jesus to honor him. It seems she is the only one who believes his prophecy of his crucifixion! Many accuse her of waste. But Jesus teaches her accusers two very important lessons. One lesson is this: Honor your Savior. We honor him when we spiritually sit at his feet in prayer, listen to his voice and anoint him with our worship. The perfume symbolizes a fragrant offering of complete devotion to our King. Devote yourself to him. Your worship is very precious to him.
   The second lesson: Take care of the poor. Jesus said that we will always have the poor with us. This does not mean he wants people to be poor. He is stating the reality of a broken world. I wonder, as people criticized the woman for wasting the perfume, did they then go and offer their possessions and work to help the poor? Did they give a tithe of their income to people in need?
   Let’s anoint our LORD God with our heart’s love. Let’s worship him in truth. Let’s spread the fragrance of his salvation to the world.