It’s easy to understand the disciples’ ambitions. After all, it was just in the previous chapter that they had finally realized Who Jesus is – the Messiah. They therefore expected that He would soon set up His kingdom, and that, as His most loyal followers, they would serve as his counsellors and generals. So it was only natural for them to begin jockeying for the best positions at court. It’s simply the way power works in this world – for someone to go up, others must go down.

But that’s not God’s way, and that’s why Jesus chose to use a child as an object lesson for the disciples. For however Romantic our notions of childhood innocence and purity may be, in the ancient world, people generally looked down on children because of their weakness. So it was shocking for Jesus to say that His aspiring courtiers should become like children. Who would voluntarily choose to be so vulnerable, so helpless? Who would willingly give up power in order to serve others?

Well, in this season of the year, we celebrate the fact that the Almighty God did just that. He humbled Himself, becoming a helpless baby, born to poor and powerless parents. Moreover, He humbled Himself on the cross, dying in our place so that we might be able to trust in Him as our Savior and bow the knee to Him as our Lord.

That’s the way Jesus expressed His unconditional love for us. And that’s the example of self-sacrificial service He set for us. So, if we want to receive Him, if we want to follow Him, that’s the road we must travel as well. So, will we put aside our proud ambitions? Will we join Him in serving others today?

Mark 9:30-37 (NASB)

30 And from there they went out and began to go through Galilee, and He was unwilling for anyone to know about it.
31 For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later.”
32 But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him.
33 And they came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them, “What were you discussing on the way?”
34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest.
35 And sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.”
36 And taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them,
37 “Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.”