Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." Mark 9:35

1. Status in the Kingdom of God is characterized by ____________ and __________.

2. Jesus is the greatest in the Kingdom because his lowly state on the _________ served __________.

3. As lowly sinners who are forgiven, we are to treat the ____________ as the ____________.

4. No one serves better than ____________.


Scripture Readings
Genesis 17:1-7,15-16
Romans 5:1-11
Mark 9:33-37


Take It With You!

As we follow Christ from His baptism to His cross and empty tomb, it will be helpful for everyone to be reading through the Gospel of Mark daily. Here helpful tools will be offered to aid in your study.

Quotes on the Call to Discipleship

John 13:1-8 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."

A Christian is the most free lord of all, and subject to none (save God); a Christian is the most dutiful servant of all, and subject to everyone. Concerning Christian Liberty, Martin Luther

This agape love that moves from God-in-Christ through the Christian is initiatory; it does not wait on formal signs of distress to grasp the hand that need holds out. It is disinterested; it does not parcel its efforts out in a quid pro quo. It is universal; it does not observe the limits that human love sets around its own in-group. It is biased towards the lost, the last, and the least, much like parents who lavish love on the needy child even whil loving all their children equally. It invites mutuality; it does not keep the other dependant. It risks forgiveness; it is not bound to a strict reciprocity. Reasonable Ethics, Robert Benne