What does success look like to you?

Winning the championship over all the other teams in your sports league?

Checking off every item on your to-do list?

Getting that new job or promotion you were hoping for?

Putting the kitchen in order after making a homemade meal from scratch?

To James and John, success looked like sitting next to Jesus, each on one side of their Lord, basking in his reflected glory. Perhaps they imagined him as a king seated on a great throne with themselves as his trusted advisors on thrones that were just a little less glorious. Whatever their mental image, their longing for success was so strong that it overcame any reluctance they might have had in approaching Jesus.

At least the way they opened the conversation suggests some hesitation on their part. "Teacher," they began, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." Instead of asking Jesus directly, James and John seemed to test him out first. Like children coming to Mom and Dad with something they know isn't quite right, they apparently hoped that he would say yes first and ask questions later. But Jesus wisely and quite rightly responded with a question of his own: "What is it you want me to do for you?"

Finally the two brothers made their request, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." No wonder they had tried to approach Jesus in such a roundabout way. They hoped to be singled out for places of honor above everyone else, even above their fellow disciples.

Surprisingly, Jesus did not rebuke them for their aspirations. He did not question their motives as inappropriate or proud. Instead, he engaged them further in conversation about "the cup" and "the baptism." He spoke indirectly, but seemed to be asking, "Can you really follow me through suffering and death?"

After all, Jesus had already told his disciples about his coming arrest and execution -- not once, but three times. His last prediction of what was to come is recorded in Mark 10:32-34 just before our text for today. Surely, if James and John had understood, they would have responded quite differently. From their question, however, they were clearly more concerned for their own future than they were for Jesus.

To their credit, when Jesus questions them, they bravely responded with a yes -- "We are able." Again, Jesus did not argue with them or question their motives. He simply told them that it was not up to him who will sit where in glory. Otherwise, he seemed to agree with them and he affirmed them. Like him, they would also suffer, whether from persecution or martyrdom.

It's the other disciples who get angry with James and John. What were they thinking? How dare they ask Jesus for the best places of honor! The other disciples express no more concern than James and John about Jesus' prediction of his suffering and death. They apparently didn't understand it either. But they clearly understood James and John. I can imagine them beginning the same argument that had occupied them on the road to Capernaum in the previous chapter. Who among them was the greatest?

At that time, Jesus settled their argument by saying, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all" (Mark 9:35). As an example, he encouraged them to welcome the children in their midst. In today's text, he responded in much the same way: "Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all" (10:43-44). As an example, he pointed to his own mission and way of life: "For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many" (10:45).

The Greek word for serving that appears twice in this verse is found only in three other places in Mark's gospel. After Jesus' temptation in the wilderness, angels came to serve him (1:13). After Simon's mother-in-law was healed by Jesus, she got up and used her newfound strength to serve Jesus and his disciples (1:31). The women who witnessed Jesus' death are described as those who had served him by supporting his ministry (15:41). At the beginning and end of Mark's gospel, Jesus is served by women and angels, and here in chapter 10 in the midst of his own preaching, teaching, and healing ministry, Jesus describes himself with the very same word. He came to serve.

For Jesus, success did not look like sitting on a throne. Success did not mean "lording it over" other people who were lower on the social or economic ladder. It did not mean acting like a master or a ruler. Instead, success looked like serving. It looked like being the last in line instead of the first. It looked like being a servant -- even a slave.

Far from rebuking his disciples' dreams of success, Jesus turned success on its head and redefined it. Glory was not to be found in sitting enthroned next to Jesus, but in following him in service.

A basic dictionary definition of service is simply to do something for someone else -- for God, for another person, for our church, our community, our world. It might be something as ordinary as holding the door open for the person behind you at the grocery store or visiting someone in the hospital. It might be serving in a soup kitchen, praying for someone in need, building a house, being a teacher, or some other community service. Whatever it is, service simply put is doing something for someone else.

It's a simple definition, but if we're honest with ourselves, you and I both know that it's not always easy to put into practice. We may talk about service and sing about service, but the truth is, most of us have a hard enough time just doing the things we need and want to do in our own lives -- our own cooking and cleaning, taking care of our family, going to the doctor, running errands, having tea with friends.... How can we possibly find the time and energy to do even more?

Yet scripture confronts us with the example of Jesus, and Jesus confronts us with the call to follow him -- not only in our hearts, not only with our minds, not only in our prayers, but in our daily lives, and in serving. How are we to do that? How are we to become people who are successful at service not just with our words but with our lives?

At the beginning of Mark's gospel, Simon's mother-in-law was unable to serve. She was sick with a fever, so severe that she couldn't even get out of bed. Then Jesus came to her home -- came right to her bedside -- took her hand, helped her up, and the fever left her. She was completely healed!

To be successful at service, we also need the healing touch of Jesus. I can't preach alone. I can't visit someone who's just been diagnosed with cancer on my own. Or at least if I do it in my own strength, I know it won't last long. I can't bring the compassion of Jesus or the challenge of Jesus' teaching to anyone else unless I've first been touched by him myself. That's true for all of us. Without the touch of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, we'll just get frustrated, tired, and burned out.

Sometimes we might receive that touch in our own quiet times of scripture and prayer. Sometimes we might receive it in worship or as we take part in the Lord's Supper. Sometimes we receive it through music, friendships, or taking the time for an afternoon nap and being refreshed that way.

And sometimes when we really feel at peace, when we really feel close to God, sometimes we may just want to stay there. We may want to enjoy ourselves, to enjoy God's goodness, and leave all the responsibilities and frustrations of the world behind. But successful living is more than just Jesus and me and feeling good about life. We're not meant to receive the touch of Jesus only for ourselves. That would be like singing the same chorus over and over again without ever stopping. It may be wonderful at first, but at some point you have to move on to a new song.

To be successful at service, we need the touch of Jesus, and we also need to move on to the next step. Simon's mother-in-law didn't continue to lie in bed thinking about how wonderful it was to be healed by Jesus. She didn't just think about serving. She didn't just sing about serving. She responded with service.

In the world of pro sports, a new coach always means a new personality, a new style, a new spirit, a new chemistry. But the key thing is how the players respond, because a coaching change is never made simply for its own sake. It's never just for the sake of changing one position in an organization. It's made for the overall effect on the team. You may be an award-winning coach, but if your team doesn't respond, you won't win many games.

In the same way, to be people successful at serving, we need to respond to Jesus. We can't just save up our serving for some future day when we think we'll have more time, or when we think we'll be more ready.

For Jesus, serving was a way of life. Even if he had never said a word that would have been clear from the way he lived, from the things he did. For Jesus, serving was more important than keeping the religious law. When he saw a man with a withered hand, he healed him -- even though it was on the Sabbath that the law reserved as a day of rest.

For Jesus, serving was also part of who he was. There's a wonderful story in the gospel of John about Jesus washing the disciples' feet. It's the foot washing part of that story that gets the most attention. But just before Jesus washes his disciples' feet, John 13:3 says, "Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God," then he got up from the table and washed his disciples' feet. Jesus served because he knew that he had come from God and was going to God. He served out of a sense of who he was.

For Jesus, serving did not come out of guilt. It did not come out of low self-esteem. It did not come because other people expected it. It did not come because he needed to win the approval of others. For Jesus, serving came out of knowing who he was.

That's my hope for your service and for my service. Serving will come out of knowing who we are in relationship to God through Jesus Christ. We will be empowered to serve because we've been touched by Jesus and are ready to respond to his call in our lives.

Dear Lord, we are grateful that you came not to be served but to serve, and we receive your touch in our lives with joy. For those like Simon's mother-in-law who are ill and unable to serve, we pray for your mercy and healing, and for patience to rest in you. For those you enable, grant a fresh vision and fresh motivation for serving you and others. Amen.