“I want a turn to ride the scooter,” Thomas repeated as Amelia sped past him through the living room. “If you catch me, you can have a turn,” Amelia replied, circling around again. She laughed heartily as Thomas ran after her several laps through the kitchen. Finally he planted his feet and declared, “I caught her but she’s not giving me a turn!” The winter weather and spring rain means we clear space for active play inside when our four grandkids visit. We are blessed to have space for scootering and small ride on toys. Our family room is open to the kitchen and by placing one sofa just so, we have a figure eight track that allows the older two to bypass the two slower, at least for now, toddlers. This story plays out the same in reverse when Thomas has the scooter and Amelia wants a turn, only she plays the mine card when she’s tired of chasing.
Amelia got the pink three wheel scooter for Christmas just before her family moved in with us. Many of the toys we had duplicates of have been shared or donated to make space. She is learning quickly that sharing her toys is important because it’s more fun having someone to play with her. Thomas came this weekend with his own black scooter from home and new knee pads for Amelia. At only ten months apart, they still adore one another and talk constantly about the other when they’re not together. Having a human nature just means they are going to tussle from time to time. We will all continue to help them work through their disagreements until the day the Holy Spirit takes up residence in their hearts and they begin to follow His lead independently.
Jesus’s closest followers needed this same sort of discipling. It’s something we never truly outgrow. It just looks different as we grow in Christ. Fortunate ones of us had parents, grandparents or close relatives who taught us and modeled Christ for us. Some have them still but when we marry, move out and begin families of our own, the roles shift to one of support and encouragement. Even if you are lacking family support, every follower of Christ is part of His Church where we have older brothers and sisters who are intended to mentor and offer encouragement and accountability as we are also tasked with doing for those younger in the faith. Age really does not dictate these roles as I have had older women admit to looking to me, even when I was just a young mother, as a spiritual mentor. There is no spiritual hierarchy when Paul writes to the Church at Corinth, “And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1) Each follower of Christ is also designed to be a leader.
Arguing ensued among Jesus’s disciples when James and John came with their mother asking for seats of honor in Jesus’s kingdom. They still did not understand that His kingdom would not be an earthly kingdom with Jerusalem restored to power under His kingship. In fact Jesus tried once again to point to His coming crucifixion but they could not hear Him. They were too caught up in what role each would play, having been handpicked by the Teacher, and were jealous of each other. Jesus would prepare them with every parable and His Spirit would bring these things to mind later, after Pentecost, when they were better able to understand. Jesus would set the example. He would lay down His life. He would literally be crucified, just as He had asked of them.
“Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
Luke 9:23 NET
https://bible.com/bible/107/luk.9.23.NET
“Now when the other ten heard this, they were angry with the two brothers.
But Jesus called them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles Lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them.
It must not be this way among you!
Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant (Greek diakonos), and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave (Greek doulos)– just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.””
Matthew 20:24-28 NET
https://bible.com/bible/107/mat.20.28.NET
While the disciples were arguing over positions of power, Jesus was preparing to not only kneel before each one and to wash his feet, even the feet of Judas Iscariot, His betrayer, but to die in their place.
We are called to lead like Jesus and that necessarily means serving, not being served. The Greek diakonos literally translates runner of errands or waiter of tables, one who executes the commands of another as a servant to a master. Greek doulos is a bond servant, one who of necessity was either sold or sold himself to another to do his bidding. When Jesus lived, nearly one-third of the population would have been enslaved. These words, adopted by Jesus in many of His teachings and by the apostles of the early Church, stem from the Old Testament concept of God’s people being servants of the Lord, ones choosing total allegiance to God, and gave dignity to an otherwise oppressive role. (http://biblehub.com/greek/1401.htm)
Once he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, the apostle Paul, once a Pharisee among Pharisees, understood that we all stand before the Lord on level ground.
“For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.
For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female – for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3:26-28 NET
https://bible.com/bible/107/gal.3.28.NET
“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.
Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.
For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.
Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires.
Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.
You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world.
But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.
Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.
Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.
In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free.
Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you.
Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.
For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.
And always be thankful.
Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.
Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives.
Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.
And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”
Colossians 3:1-17 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/col.3.1-17.NLT
“So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control.
Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.
So you must live as God’s obedient children.
Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires.
You didn’t know any better then.
But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.
For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites.
He will judge or reward you according to what you do.
So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.”
For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors.
And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value.
It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.
God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake.
Through Christ you have come to trust in God.
And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.
You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters.
Love each other deeply with all your heart.
For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end.
Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.”
1 Peter 1:13-23 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/1pe.1.23.NLT
Ask yourself, whose happiness is keeping me from finding contentment in Christ? Whose success are you allowing to make you feel unproductive? Whose failures do you cite in order to feel justified? We are all saved by faith in Jesus from the empty life we inherited. You are not your own. You were bought at a great price. Salvation is the free gift of God but it must be received on His terms.
If you have never trusted in Jesus as Savior and surrendered to Him as Lord, today is the day of salvation.
“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.
I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.
Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.
Revelation 3:20, 19, 21 NLT
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