"Serve and protect." I've see this motto adorning a police
car. This same motto came to my mind as
I meditated on Mark 9: 33-50.
The disciples and Jesus went to Capernaum. When Jesus was in the house, He asked about what
the disciples had been arguing. They
kept quiet as they had argued about who was the greatest. (Jesus knew.
He always knew and always knows.) Jesus sat down and called them to Him. He said, "If anyone wants to be first,
he must be the very last and the servant of all."
Jesus brought a little child to stand among them. Then He took the child in His arms and said
"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My Name welcomes Me and
whoever welcomes Me does not welcome Me but the One who sent Me."
Be a servant to all.
Be the
last.
Welcome
the least.
John asked about a man driving out demons in Jesus' name who
was not part of their group. The
disciples told the man to stop. Jesus
told the disciples not to stop him. "No
one who does a miracle in My Name can in the next moment say anything bad about
Me, for whoever is not against us is for us." Anyone who gives a cup of water in Jesus'
Name because they belong to Jesus will
not lose their reward.
The Good News is not exclusive, but inclusive.
Whoever is
not against us is for us.
Jesus continues with this warning: "If anyone causes one of these little ones
who believe in Me to sin it would be better to be thrown in the sea with a
millstone around his neck." He
continues to advise them to protect the little ones and themselves by removing
the cause of their sin (like cutting off the hand, the foot or the eye that
sins).
Jesus adds a vivid description of the consequence of life
outside the kingdom of God. Hell will be
a place where the maggots continually devour and the fire always burns.
Evaluate my behavior.
Eliminate
what causes damage on others and causes me to sin.
Life
without sin is better than the alternative.
Jesus finishes with an analogy of salt. "Salt is good but if it loses its
saltiness how can you make it salty again?
Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with each other."
These verses remind me it's not about me being among the
greatest or my group being the greatest.
These verses warn me about being legalistic and imposing my standard of
who is for Jesus. Jesus reminds me that
it takes a lot of "flavor" to get along with each other but it will
be well worth it. My reward is The Everlasting
Kingdom of God and not everlasting maggots and fire.
S erve one
another
A nd
L et's get
T ogether
These verses remind me to serve and protect
the
innocents
my daily
witness
the
differences in believers.
S acrifice
A ll
L ive
T he eternal life
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