In Mark 10:33-34, we read about Jesus telling His disciples of His impending death. He told them that in Jerusalem, He would be delivered to the Jewish leaders, be mocked, spit on, flogged, and killed, but then rise on the third day. The next thing Mark records is that James and John came to Jesus and asked Him to give them what they wanted: seats of honor in His kingdom. How rude! They’d ignored Jesus’ teaching, and right after hearing about Jesus’ sacrifice, they were concerned with personal honor. But do we make the same mistake?
Do we seek to serve and honor Christ, or are we seeking ways to get honor for ourselves? Is our faith a means of serving God or trying to get God to serve us? Are we humbled by the sacrifice of Christ or more concerned about our well-being? What do we want—Christ’s honor or our own?