Kingdom Honor Roll

Jilian Brown
Oct 23, 2021
6 min read

Updated: Oct 23, 2021

“And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, ‘Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.’ And he said to them, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ And they said to him, ‘Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.’ Jesus said to them, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?’ And they said to him, ‘We are able.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.’ And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, ‘You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles Lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭10:35-45‬ ‭

My kids are in public school for the first time this year. At their previous school, the format was collaborative between the parents and teachers, so report cards were not a huge deal. The students received grades, of course, but physical report cards did not come home. All this to say, the boys really didn’t even know what report cards were until last week. They also attended their first awards assemblies, which recognized all sorts of achievements such as “All-A Honor Roll” and “A/B Honor Roll.” At one school the “All-A“ kids got to run around the gym to sit on a red carpet at the front to celebrate their achievements.

I am in the middle of a preaching class this quarter and my assigned passage is Mark 9:33-37. I always find “coincidences” so fun. I doubt it is a coincidence right now that one of the readings for this week is Mark 10. The stories are not identical, but have the same idea. In Mark 9, the disciples are quarreling over who will be the greatest. In Mark 10, James and John are asking Jesus which of them will be seated at his right and which at his left side. Jesus literally just told them that there is no such hierarchy in the Kingdom. The opposite is instead true--the least is the greatest--but the Zebedee Brothers try to ask Jesus again with a slightly different spin. They want to be the leaders of Jesus’ campaign, his esteemed right-hand (and left-hand) men. Surely there is a way for them to achieve this status. They perhaps imagine a great battle in which they are ready to fight, but the battle is internal in this case and not against the Romans. Jesus is far less concerned with what the disciples achieve and far more concerned with who they are so they might reach those around them. Correct insides beget correct outsides. As the other James later said, a faith without works is a dead one, but true faith is modeled after the suffering servant.

I wonder how this plays out in our lives. How am I trying to earn my way into God’s presence? How am I trying to get those gold stars in my crown? Perhaps this hits a nerve for me particularly because I am wired to always do more, work harder, achieve the next thing. An “A” is never good enough if an “A+” is possible. At least, that is what I have always believed. However, I see in this passage that this thinking is not necessarily true. The achievement lens at its core is self-focused. An “A+” is excellent, but who does it glorify and what does it cost? The same is true with any other achievement or accolade. I am not suggesting we settle for mediocrity here because Colossians 3:23 clearly states to work hard, but also to “work as unto the Lord and not for men.” If I am working as unto the Lord, people will not be the casualty of my success. I do believe people should strive for excellence in all they do, but there is a way to be an outstanding leader with a servant's heart. I am listing two great leadership books in the resources which devote their entire manuscript to this idea. However, I love this passage from Randy Alcorn's book, Heaven:

"Prior to Christ's return, his Kingdom will be intermingled with the world's cultures (Matthew 13:24-30). But his followers will be growing in character and proving their readiness to rule. Through adversity and opportunity, as well as in their artistic and cultural accomplishments, they will be groomed for their leadership roles in christ's eternal Kingdom. Their society-transforming creative skills will be put on prominent display in the new universe, where they will 'shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father' (Matthew 13:43)."

This description reminds me of the end of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

It is possible to flourish in our gifts and not become self-centered. It requires constant reflection and scanning of our souls to align our character with that of Christ. This is part of prayer. Asking God not only what His will is, but who we need to be to accomplish it by His Spirit.

I had a project due this week. I got an “A,” but not an “A+” on it. When I read the critiques, I agreed with all of them because I knew when it was time to turn it in that I actually could have done better on it and I even knew what it lacked. But I ran out of time. We took our son on a 10th birthday trip last weekend and it seems that daily the kids have all sorts of school festivities going on for fall. I just can’t miss out on all of that. So, while I would have been delighted to earn a perfect grade, it turns out that I would only be serving myself to get there. To be clear, I don’t always make this choice. Too many times, I have sacrificed relationships for the goal, but being in the front of the line can be pretty lonely.

Priorities are tough. Our culture deceptively sells the message that we can have it all. That is an absolute lie. Something always gives somewhere. Any “yes” means a “no” somewhere else without exception. I think prioritizing my life may be the single biggest hurdle I constantly face. I often get into a pattern of taking on too much, realizing it, having to quit a bunch of endeavors, then slowly repeating the same pattern. If anyone has help or advice on how to NOT be this way, I am all ears. I often do not take risks because I am scared of how much it will cost in time and focus, but I also am consistently over-involved.

Jesus could have been and done a great many things as Satan pointed out to Him (Matt. 4:8-10), but He chose instead the humble path of service. Jesus’ ministry commenced upon the conclusion of this final temptation to be like the other major

power leaders of the world. With His heart, soul, mind, and body firmly rooted in the original plan, He changed the world with the power of the Spirit not the sword. He boundaried Himself and did exactly enough and not too much, though He tirelessly met people where they were and never once demanded the recognition He deserved.

When James and John ask to be Chief Operating Officers in Jesus’ ministry, they have no idea what they are asking. When Jesus agrees to share with them, He knows that their “cup” and “baptism” will be marked by martyrdom (Acts 12:2) and imprisonment (Rev. 1:9). The road to the Kingdom Honor Roll is marked by humility, service, and sacrifice. The victory lap to the red carpet awaits in eternity (Matt. 5:11-12), but the A+ students will be those who gave up their own greatness to serve others.

Citations and Resources:

*Alcorn, Randy. Heaven. Carol Stream IL: Tyndale House, 2004.

*DePree, Max. Leadership Jazz: The Essential Elements of A Great Leader. New York: Doubleday, 1992.

*Wilkes, C. Gene. Jesus on Leadership: Timeless Wisdom on Servant Leadership. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 1998.

Kingdom Honor Roll

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