Mark Devotionals
[Please do read the passage before (or after) reading the devotion.]
I’m sure that Jesus is a little amused by our heroic ambitions to do great things for him. James and John must have had such ambitions – after all they had left everything to follow Jesus, and now they wanted to be in positions of authority so that they could get things done for Jesus. I’m sure their reason for asking Jesus what they did had the best of intentions. But Jesus knew they were not ready for the “Kingdom way” of doing things. They would need to come to a place where they would willingly offer their very lives and embrace a life of suffering that Jesus embodied. Jesus knew they would, eventually. But that would happen after his death, resurrection, and the sending of the Holy Spirit into them. The question he lovingly asked them was, “Are you able..?” They didn’t really know what that question entailed, but they were sincere in their willingness to respond “Yes, we are able”. History shows that God did the rest. The question for us remains the same: “Are you able…?”
Prayer: Lord, I want to be somebody that you would be proud of; I want to do great things for you. But I mistakenly think I can do it on my own. But you have you way of preparing your servant for your purposes, don’t you Lord? The way to victory is always through a valley of some sort…often of suffering. Lord, hold my hand as I walk through those dark valleys. I know you are alive, ever Present, with me. In fact you have given your Holy Spirit to me when I first made you my Savior and Lord. So when my heart fails, and I am afraid, and the pain is too much for me to bear, hold me close to yourself. Give me the strength to be faithful so that I will indeed be able to say, Yes I am able, because of you. Amen.
