Jesus on Power: A Reflection on Mark 10.35-45

As I write this, the question of power is all over the news — it can’t not be, with wars and rumours of war around the world, and major elections at home and abroad. The whole world seems to be grappling with the question of what power is. And that’s of course only talking about power in this world, something the New Testament regularly questions and contrasts to how power is understood in God’s Kingdom. It’s an important and evergreen teaching because, for some reason, Christians seem to be drawn to this world’s power systems and dynamics more than those of the Gospels. With this in mind, today’s Gospel reading from Mark 10 represents an interesting case study, as Jesus deals with two followers who are confusing how power works on Earth with how it works in God’s Kingdom.

The passage starts with James and John, who are generally portrayed as being loose cannons (earlier in Mark’s account, Jesus even gave them the nickname the ‘Thunderboys’ (3.17)), coming up to Jesus to ask him a favour. But it’s no small favour! They ask for nothing less than being in places of power in the earthly kingdom they think Jesus is going to set up: “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory” (10.37). Jesus replies by questioning whether they really know what they’re asking for: “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” After some more back and forth, the rest of the disciples catch wind of the conversation and are (understandably) annoyed. So Jesus sits the whole group down and explains what exactly he means and what power looks like under his governance:

“You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (10.42-45)

James and John were thinking of power and glory in human terms: being right at Jesus’ side in battle, at his royal banquets, and at his court. But this isn’t what power and glory are in God’s terms. In God’s Kingdom, it’s not about how much power you can get, accumulate, and exert over others, but how much you can give, serve others, and share with others. There is no authoritarianism here, no dog-eat-dog, looking-out-for-number-one mentality. Instead, it’s a service- and offering-oriented understanding. I’m reminded here of the Potlatch culture of the Pacific Northwest, where a chief was considered powerful if everyone in his community had food and shelter, and where a group was considered powerful if they could ensure their neighbours had food and shelter. There are no palaces, no personality cults, no luxury economies in God’s Kingdom. Only service towards those this world considers ‘the least’, ‘the losers’, ‘the unworthy’.

This is a short reflection, but there’s really not much more to be said, is there? The task before us as Christians is clear: Not to seek the earthly, human, fallen power of domination, but the heavenly, Godly, righteous power of service to others. End of story.