Rockstar Status

A true leader is a true servant.

32 They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went ahead of them. They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them what was going to happen to him. 33 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles 34 who will mock him, spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death, but after three days he will rise.”
35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 He replied, “What do you wish [me] to do for you?” 37 They answered him, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.” 38 [a]Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 They said to him, “We can.” Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; 40 but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 41 When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. 42 [b]Jesus summoned them and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. 43 But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; 44 whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. 45 For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”-Mark10:32-45

To be a leader, one has to be selfless and a servant of all. S/he does not seek his/her own interests. Sometimes, family and other personal obligations are sacrificed and missed for the sake of service to others. But leadership has certain privileges that cannot be rid of. Leaders are sometimes pampered though they are not asking for it. Leaders are adored. Leaders have a 'following' as they say in social media. James and John surely felt some little privileges just by being with Jesus. If Jesus is a Somebody during His ministry on earth, how much more when He assumes His glorified Self. But Jesus teaches them, His disciples, and also us, that true leadership and discipleship is in the art of following His example. But what of the privileges? If Jesus coped with it and handled it well, He will give us the grace to handle and cope with it as well. The spirit in us must quench the flesh's cravings for such worldly matters.

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Living Life to the Fullest

How must we enjoy life to the fullest?

22 He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”23 Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily[a] and follow me. 24 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?-Luke9:22-25

So many people would say or greet another with this simple message, "Enjoy life." But what is the formula for enjoying life? I have read stories, encountered people who say that to enjoy life, one must travel, shop, party, be with friends, spend, beautifying oneself, eat and drink, and so forth. These are not bad or evil. However, these are not the real key or answer to enjoying life to the fullest. To live life to the fullest is simply by following Christ - a life of simplicity and poverty, of respect, of love, of generosity, of compassion, of mercy, of prayer, of humility, of doing the will of God. An expensive bag gives one happiness that lasts for a short time only. A bag, no matter how expensive it is, is still a bag at the end of the day. The happiness through generosity that we do to others lasts for a long time. Even if we forget, other people remember it. The goodness we do to others, contribute to the change of the world and teaches others to be good as well. We live in this world but it doesn't mean we have to be worldly. Everything is created good and Jesus is inviting us to complement it by doing good also. Seemingly our world is evil, but God and His goodness - through our goodness also - will always triumph.

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