FRIDAY, MARCH 9
Scripture: Mark 10:42

In Mark 10:42 Jesus outlines the difference between the world and His Kingdom. It says in verse 42, “But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, ‘You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.’” In verse 42 Jesus is drawing a giant distinction between the way the world operates and the way His Kingdom operates. The Kingdom of God does not operate on the principles or the motivation that the world does. Why is that? It is because the way the Lord operates is faith-driven and God’s Kingdom rewards faith! The words that are used here are really important. “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them…” In that statement we need to look at the word called kat-ak-oo-ree-yoo-o . This is a compound word. Kat-ah means to take a stand against and koo-ree-yoo-o means Judge of all the earth. The first thing that Jesus is saying here is He has made us kings and priests. He is telling us that we have judicial authority. He alludes to the fact that if we use that judicial authority to gain position above others that we are using it against people instead of for them. He has ordained that judicial authority be used for the church and for prechristians for their blessing not to gain position. The Lord’s Kingdom does not work by self-promotion. It operates by sacrifice and obedience and it operates according to servanthood. Jesus picked twelve men who were all born in the earth and they all had the same issues. They had to get delivered from their giants and submit to servanthood. This was a challenge for them.