[RECAP]  It’s amazing. Every time Jesus brings up the cross, competition comes out from the disciples. There is something about the cross, something about the reality, that brings out from within us kind of a spirit of resistance. Almost a spirit of rejection. Almost a sense of, ‘no, I don’t want that cross! You’re not hearing it. You’re not getting it right. Not the cross, the crown.’ Because that’s what they were interested in.  [END RECAP]

Now let’s get back to Mark 9 and let’s review this passage. They’re moving across Galilee, Jesus and His men, and He tells them very directly that He is going to die on the cross, “the Son of Man.” Fascinating, isn’t it? The very same title He used before. I remind you, they knew what this title meant. From the time they were very, very, very little, little, little children they knew what this title meant. They grew up with this in the Old Testament. And so they knew what He meant, the Son of Man.

But He deliberately is redefining that term for them. Not the Son of Man who someday will occupy the throne, and someday will be worshiped by people from every tongue and tribe, and someday will have that throne forever; not that focus in His life. But the Son of Man who became a man of sorrows, and became one of us, who died for us. That’s the focus now. That’s the Son of Man at this moment we know. We look forward when the Son of Man, our Lord and Savior, will be revealed in His grandeur, in His power, in His ultimate, total glory, when all of earth will be subject to Him, and when there will be peace. But today, He is the Son of Man who died for us.

But the disciples just cannot get it. You know what happens. They did not understand. Mark 9:32, “and they were afraid to ask Him,” and I’ll tell you why they were afraid. They weren’t afraid to ask Him about parables. They weren’t afraid to ask Him about issues of the heart, when in Mark 7 that came up. But they were afraid to ask Him about this, and I’ll tell you why. They were afraid He would tell them, even more plainly, even more clearly, He might even say to them, ‘and you also will experience the cross.’ After all, He’s already called them to take up the cross. So they’re afraid.

And they came to their home base of Capernaum, and when they settled there, “He asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?”” (Mark 9:34). On the way of life, on the walk of life what do we argue about? What do leaders argue about? What do we get into tension about? What do we become assertive about? He’s very clear, they “argued about who was the greatest” (Mark 9:34).

Here’s the first symptom: selfish ambition and shameful competition. These men had ambition, they had drive. Like us, huh? What good is a leader who doesn’t have some ambition? Can’t get out of bed in the morning. Doesn’t know where he wants to go. Isn’t willing to pay the price it takes to get there. Not much good, I can tell you that right now. These were driven men who wanted to be number one. And Jesus talks about His death and they talk about their lives. And by asking that very question, Jesus shamed them because they were not willing to admit they had selfish ambition and shameful competition.

What about your team? Anybody on your team marked by this? In your business? In your ministry team? In your church? In your parachurch agency? Any of this going on? Any of the, sort of smile, ‘I’ve got your back.’ Right. In the cross-hairs of his ambition. Any of that happen? I’ve seen this. I’ve been on teams like this. I could contribute. Symptom number one: selfish ambition and shameful competition.

Mark 10, in Mark 10 we come to symptom number two. Symptom number two is very, very fascinating. Very, very fascinating. In Mark chapter 10, Jesus gives us the most comprehensive statement concerning His death. And in fact it’s very interesting. In verse 33 He says, “We are going up to Jerusalem” and this is only stated to the Twelve. And “He said, “the Son of Man…”” Do you see what He’s doing? He just really hammering away at this concept of the Son of Man. He’s working to change their perspective. He’s working to get the message across to them. That some day it will be glory but now today it’s humility. “The Son of Man will be betrayed” (Mark 10:33). 

And no sooner does He say that, then James and John come walking up to Him. And in Matthew we know they had somebody with them. From Matthew we know that they had their mother with them (Matthew 20:20-21). This is a great example of ‘Mama Power’ and other mistakes on the way to the cross.

Now if you work your way through, particularly the women at the cross, by a process of elimination, you discover something. You discover that their mother was Mary’s sister making her Jesus’ aunt and making them His cousins. Do you see what they’re doing? You know what this is? It’s a power-play. Symptom number two:  a shameless use of power to get what we want.

I think, now the text doesn’t say this, I know, but you know in narrative literature, the writer says, ‘well, use your head a little bit. What do you think happened?’ Well, I think, James and John got together. And you know, they were the Sons of Thunder. Boanerges, Jesus called them. The Sons of Thunder, rumble. I guess they made noise, I don’t know, they made some kind of impact, there was some kind of power associated with them. Power! It’s a power-play. And who has greater power than mama? Especially since she’s known Jesus all His life. Since she held Him, most likely, when He was was a little baby. And so she comes, with her sons, and she with they says, “we want you to do whatever we want you to do” (Mark 10:35). That’s literally, I guess that’s the best way to say it. ‘Do what we want’ is really what they’re asking for. Very fascinating how Jesus responds to them, “what do you want?”

Now I have to tell you, if I were one of the other disciples standing there, and I heard those guys say that, I will tell you this: I am wanting them to get a nice back hand, that’s what I want. I want a rebuke. I want them to be told, ‘who are you that you should get whatever you want? What about the rest of the guys?’ But He doesn’t do that. He simply says, “What do you want?” (Mark 10:36). Now I don’t know exactly the emotions that were there. These are politically astute people. They’re making a move. They’ve planned it, they’ve timed it. They’ve done the best they can. They got their mother to come. They’ve got it all in hand. And I wonder, when He asked that question, “What do you want?” I wonder if they thought, ‘we’re going to get it!’ And they were bold to say what they wanted, “we want to sit one on Your right and one on Your left in Your kingdom” (Mark 10:37).

Isn’t that interesting? They’re kingdom focused. They’re crown focused. They’re not cross focused. They haven’t heard a word He’s said about the cross. I find it fascinating that many of us as leaders can talk about the cross while we’re reaching for the crown and not even know it. These men did not really know what they were doing. When Jesus asked them the question, “can you drink of the cup and be baptized with the same baptism?” (Mark 10:38). ‘Yes!’ Because they’re thinking coronation.

I’m thinking that He knows and that He is looking ahead; James is going to die as a pretty young man at the hands of Herod. He’s going to be martyred. And John, as a very old man, is going to be exiled on a penal colony, an island called Patmos, in a cold and bone-chilling part of the Mediterranean in the winter season. Now, he will be there for 18 months sent by an emperor. Perhaps because he would not worship the emperor.

You know it’s very interesting. Jesus does not actually rebuke these men. He corrects them, but He doesn’t actually rebuke them. See these men are saying, ‘we want to be the best.’ And I’ll tell you what, Jesus wants leaders who want to be the best. He just doesn’t want leaders who use power to meet their own ends. He doesn’t want leaders who compete to be the best. He wants leaders who want to be the best kind of men and women they can be. That’s what He wants. And He doesn’t rebuke them for wanting to be the best. He rebukes them in a way, not really rebuke them. He corrects them for thinking without understanding at all that they could do what He was going to do. They didn’t get it.

Jesus needs leaders who want to be their best, but He will stop power-players who want to be “the” best. There’s a big difference between being the best and being your best. Between being the best, and being my best.