As the Jesus and his disciples travelled to Capernaum, Mark paints us an interesting picture of the disciples bickering as they followed their Master. No doubt, Jesus was in front, and like children, the disciples are jostling for the best position as they vie for the top spot right behind Jesus.

Jesus had spotted this and so asked them what they were bickering about when they reached Capernaum. They didn’t respond, so he sat them down and explained that in his eyes, being first was different from how the world defines being first. The world pays attention to those with money, those with large militaries behind them, those who have influential friends. You can imagine the disciples arguing amongst themselves, Andrew claiming primacy because he was called first, Peter because Jesus had given him the keys to the kingdom, John because he was the closest and maybe even Judas as he held the purse strings.

Jesus turned the world’s ideas of importance on its head. He told his disciples that the greatest must be the least, that the one who serves would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus goes straight to the heart of the human condition. As people, we want to be important, to be powerful, to be selfish, to be God, this is the nature of our rebellion against the one true God. We would have to turn from our sin if we were to live a life of service to God. If Jesus had left it at that, we would be doomed, for in our own strength we cannot overcome our sinful nature.

Jesus not only tells us what we should be, but shows us. Though he is God, he humbles himself to become a man, to serve. His primary mission is not to teach us how we can please God, but to enable us to please God through his sacrifice on the cross. For by his sacrifice, we can be justified through faith in him. When we are justified, he sends his Spirit to dwell in us, to change us from within, enabling us to serve him.

As we go through the Christian life, we are not promised that it will be the way of an easy life. We are to expect hardship and suffering, but yet the apostle Paul says we are to rejoice in our suffering. This is not to say that we should rejoice in the suffering in and or itself, we’re not to be psychopaths. However, we are to rejoice in the results of our suffering.

For even though the suffering might be caused by those who intend evil upon us, God is ultimately in control and will use it for our good.

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:3-5