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Day 29 Mark 10:32-45 Mark 10:32 And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him, 33 Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: 34 And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again. 35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. 36 And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? 37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory. 38 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? And be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? 39 And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized: 40 But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared. 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John. 42 But Jesus called them to him, and said unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. 43 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: 44 And whosoever of you will be the chief, shall be servant of all. 45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Have you tried to dissuade someone from a course of action you thought was not beneficial for them, only to have them go ahead with their plans, with unexpected results? Jesus told the disciples what was about to happen to him, with all the gory details. Yet, the only response was from James and John who wanted to be seated on his right and left hands. The presumption of those two upset the rest, yet Jesus told him those places were reserved for those for whom they were prepared. That alone would raise all kinds of questions in me. Who better to have those places prepared for than those who were his constant companions. Notice what Jesus told James and John when he asked them if they were willing to go through the same baptism of fire he was about to go through. He told them they would go through that kind of baptism. We know from history that neither James or John suffered crucifixion, but both suffered greatly at the hands of the government. James was killed shortly after the church got its start, and John was boiled in oil, and when that didn’t work, he was exiled to Patmos, where he was given the Revelation of the last days. If you knew the consequences of your request, would you still make the request? Christians on the battlefield, the mission field, face situations leading to death, as they do their best to get the message of the cross to anyone who will listen. The message is getting out, but at great cost. Knowing the consequences, are you willing to go to the battlefield? Are you willing to get the gospel of Jesus Christ to anyone who will listen, despite the risk to your life? After Jesus’ death and resurrection, the early church went through a lot of tribulation at the hands of Nero, who built arenas and had Christians torched, fed to lions, or fighting for their lives as gladiators. Those Christians did not turn away from the consequences of being a Christian. Today, most Christians sit in church pews, singing wonderful hymns and songs of praise to God, without fear that their lives will be forfeit for their faith. They listen to great sermons, even learn about missionaries on the front lines, all from the safe distance of their church pew. What would you do if the tables were turned, and your rights as Christians in a free society were taken from you, and the next person to walk into your church had a gun and began shooting everyone in sight? Jesus said the disciples would go through a baptism of fire, and they did, all of them. Are you a battlefield Christian? Are you ready to go to the front lines to spread the gospel, no matter what the consequences? Let’s pray: Father, it’s easy to say I’m ready to face the consequences of being a Christian. It’s easy to sit in a pew and sing praises to you, glorifying you, and listening to your Word. It’s easy to watch slide presentations about what missionaries are doing. Give me the strength and courage to be a battlefield Christian, ready to face the consequences of my faith in you. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright © 4 August 2018 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay