THE ENEMY WE FACE MIGHT BE SURPRISING

“But 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?”
Mark 10:38

A phrase in an old cartoon was, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”
The struggles and failures so many people experience
have as their root nothing other than self.
Self-focus clashes with the kingdom agenda.

Jesus gave the agenda.
“We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man
will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law.
They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles,
who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him.
Three days later he will rise.”
Mark 10:33-34
He spoke of His upcoming betrayal, condemnation, mocking, death and resurrection.
But where was the focus of His disciples?

Having heard this agenda, James and John made a request
to sit on either side of Jesus in His glory.
The clashing of agendas occurred as they shifted focus from Christ’s passion
to their desired positions of honor.

Just as the request in Numbers 32 affected the nation as a whole,
this request affected the disciples as a group.
Look at how the other disciples reacted to to their request.
“When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.”
Mark 10:41

Jesus had to call them together to calm them down and explain what is most important.
“Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those
who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you.
Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,
and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:42-45

James tells us how our selfishness can cause all kinds of problems.
“What causes fights and quarrels among you?
Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?”
James 4:1

Unfortunately, many well meaning believers are still battling selfishness.
They may not admit it, but if they are honest with themselves, they know it is true.
Choose to focus on the heavenly agenda and take the focus off yourself.

Try to see others before yourself.
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
Rather, in humility value others above yourselves”
Philippians 2:3

Learn to live for others.
When is the last time you did something special for someone else
with no expectations or strings attached?
How often do you encourage others
(including those in leadership positions at your church)?
What are you living for?  To go to heaven, right?
Then we need to have the attitudes and focus on earth
that we would expect those in heaven to have.
It won’t happen by doing nothing, we have to be proactive in
changing our focus from self to others, and from the world to heaven.
Maybe you will have an opportunity to put someone in front of youself today.