Not to Be Served

Mark 10:45. James and John have asked for the best seats. The other ten are indignant, probably because they wanted the seats too. Jesus gathers them and explains that the rulers of the nations lord it over people, but it is not to be so among them. Then he gives the reason, and the reason is himself. The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

A ransom is a price paid to set someone free. Jesus is telling the Twelve, weeks before it happens, what his death will accomplish. It is the clearest statement in Mark of why the cross matters.

But notice how he uses it. He does not present the ransom as a doctrine to admire. He presents it as a pattern to follow. Because he came to serve, his people serve. On a Tuesday, in whatever work you return to, that is the shape of the day.