Our Gospel reading today culminates Jesus’ extended explanation of what it means to be His intentional disciple (Mark 10:35-45).

As we have progressed through these special chapters of Mark’s Gospel, we also have observed the disciples falling woefully short of the standard for discipleship Jesus sets.

Now its James and John who take center stage. Fueled by their worry and anxiety regarding their future security, they foolishly posture for power and prestige with Jesus. We witness again the catastrophic effects of worry whenever we anxiously demand that God do whatever we want instead of our drawing near to Him and humbly asking Him to lessen our worry and God’s will be done.

We neither create nor determine what it means to be disciple. Rather, our task is to connect with God and imitate Jesus, made possible by divine grace, divine power, that God mercifully and generously gives to us.

In response to their anxious self-promotion, Jesus tells James and John that they indeed will share in the cup He will drink and receive the baptism with which He has been baptized, indicating their future martyrdom (v. 39).

As for their request to sit at Jesus right and left, Jesus says that is “for those for whom it has been prepared” (v. 40).  Of course, we who know the whole Gospel recall Jesus’ crucifixion and are keenly aware of who is on His left and right – two thieves. The humble and repentant criminal receives blessed admittance into God’s Kingdom.

Meanwhile the remaining ten similarly show they have not understood anything of what Jesus has taught because they are consumed by anger – indignation – about their two anxious friends seeking most favored status.

The call of Jesus is not to cabinet-like positions of power but a life of self-offering love of God and love of neighbor. The path to living as an intentional disciple of Jesus is to the cross and service. It is the way Jesus Himself dares to walk and we are to follow, without condition, with negotiation, without excuses to follow a different route.

Jesus is the One who by His very life shows us how to be a disciple.

Notice how Jesus brings James and John to Him when they are anxious. (Soon thereafter, Jesus will bring the ten others to Him when they are angry – how we respond to offence and hurt is a different essential Christian practice we call “forgiveness”). James and John’s nervous ramblings revealing their worry about their future security does not disqualify them from discipleship but rather becomes the opportunity for Jesus to help them worry less. So, too, must we draw near to Jesus when we are anxious and worried to receive divine grace that equips and empowers us to carry our cross confidently and to serve compassionately in imitation of Jesus. The 4 step habit to worry less we call “relinquishment” and I hope your relinquishment practice has lessened worry by helping you connect with God as it continues to do for me.

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