Muslims all over the world are observing Ramadan these days. I could hear the chant in the morning and in the evening where we live. During Ramadan devout Muslims follow a strict set of acts such as prayer, fasting and reading of the Koran. They abstain from eating meals and having sexual union during the daylight. Because emphasis is heavily on observing the rules as a group, many Muslims gain extra strength and inspiration by watching fellow pilgrims faithfully struggle to obey the rules. Islam, as many missionaries have said to me, places high emphasis on the external, to be seen by others. Because actions and behaviors count, everything they do seem to be out in the open.

In Christianity, it is different. There are few events that require the followers of Jesus Christ observe as a group and out in the open. It seems that teaching on Christian freedom has taken over. There are no rigid rules to follow. Rather, it is up to us who we are going to express our spirituality. For example, it is up to you how you observe the Holy Sabbath. You can go to church in the morning or in the evening. You can skip a Sunday here and a Sunday there. It is up to you how you express your love for God. You can pray on your own. You can pray with others. Or you may not even have to pray, in the traditional sense of the word, since you may believe that life lived out in full conscience before God is a prayer anyway.

In some ways, it is easy to be a Muslim and follow Allah: just do what other Muslims are doing. The buzzword here is conformity in obedience. But for Christians, it is much more complex. That is why it is difficult to follow Jesus in today's world

Following Jesus: a Question about Discipleship
We are still asking the question, 'What does it mean to follow Jesus Christ?' As we come to the fourth message on the theme of discipleship in the gospel of Mark (for your information: the first message was on the glorious call to follow Jesus from Mark 1:14-20; the second on multiplying ourselves from Mark 4:13-20; the third on leaving all behind from Mark 10:26-31), we will examine the passage where Jesus gives the most definitive statement on the meaning of discipleship: Mark 10:35-45.

As we begin, I want to ask you to note the following questions:

How can we remain as faithful followers of Jesus Christ in this challenging world? How do you follow Jesus each day and remain spiritually fulfilled as well as making a difference for the Kingdom?

How do you follow Jesus ever so faithfully and genuinely in today's challenging world, full of temptations, roadblocks, and disappointments?

In our passage, Jesus announced to his disciples in no uncertain terms that the time has come for him to go up to Jerusalem, to be betrayed by religious leaders, and to be condemned to die. He would be tortured and killed, but on the third day he would rise. This was Jesus' third official announcements to his disciples concerning his death (the first two are found in Mark 8:31 and 9:31). The difference this time was that they were now 'on their way up to Jerusalem' (10:32). Now for the disciples, there was no turning back!

James and John seized the opportunity and requested Jesus the most selfish thing one could ask for, especially given the circumstance Jesus was in. They wanted the assurance that Jesus 'in his glory' (that is, when Jesus has started his Messianic Kingdom) would grant the brothers the best position available, one to his right and the other to his left. It would be asking something like the best two positions of a new administration following an election.

Here, in this snapshot in the life of Jesus' followers, we have an opportunity to examine ourselves. We are not that much different from these disciples, as shocking as their actions might seem to us at first. After all, we all share the fallen nature of self-centeredness.

Two dangers in ministering
Unless we are in tune with our Master, following Jesus and doing God's work can be a very dangerous thing to our soul. We face real danger here. What are at least two common dangers we face in ministry?

The first danger is our love for power leading to the building of personal kingdoms rather than helping to build the Kingdom of God. When difficulties arise, we are tempted to choose love for power over power of love, control over service. Why? Power and control give us security. It is the ugly side of human nature called self-love.

How many churches are run by a group of people motivated by love, rather than power? We hear of church fights and splits. Church leaders are in grid lock over who should be in control. I remember the first two churches I was part of. As a young believer in the Lord, it was so confusing to witness church leaders fighting over control. When we examine the dark periods of church history like the Great Schism of the eleventh century, we learn that control and power were the real issues behind doctrinal differences.

James and John sought power. They wanted to make sure that sitting next to Jesus they wanted to enjoy power in the new Messianic Kingdom. No wonder the other ten disciples were indignant! But Christian ministry cannot be organized and sustained by a drive for more power. That is everything against what Jesus taught. He replied to the brothers:

You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you ... (vv. 42-43)

The second danger we face in ministering to others in Jesus' name is burnout leading to utter ineffectiveness.

I shared with you about a Jesuit priest named Henri Nouswen last week. In his book, In the Name of Jesus, he describes why he obeyed God's call to leave behind a prestigious teaching post at Harvard and move to a communal life at Daybreak with mentally handicapped people. He wrote:

After twenty years in the academic world as a teacher of pastoral psychology, pastoral theology, and Christian spirituality, I began to experience a deep inner threat. As I entered in my fifties and was able to realize the unlikelihood of doubling my years, I came face to face with the simple question, 'Did becoming older bring me closer to Jesus?' After twenty-five years of priesthood, I found myself praying poorly, living somewhat isolated from other people, and very much preoccupied with burning issues. Everyone was saying that I was doing really well, but something inside was telling me that my success was putting my own soul in danger. I began to ask myself whether my lack of contemplative prayer, my loneliness, and my constantly changing involvement in what seemed most urgent were signs that the Spirit was gradually being suppressed. It was very hard for me to see clearly, and though I never spoke about hell or only jokingly so, I woke up one day with the realization that I was living in a very dark place and that the term 'burnout' was a convenient psychological translation for a spiritual death. (p.10-11)

It is worth noting three symptoms or signs of the burnout Henri Nouwen noticed in himself. They were:
1. Lack of contemplative prayer - a certain inability to go deeper into prayer and praying with one's heart, mind, soul and strength, not just with mind.
2. Isolation - increasing tendency to stay away from people and their problems. Social numbness turns into unbearable loneliness.
3. Preoccupation with the urgent - running around aimlessly to put out the fire of the moment, but at the end of the day there is nothing important or significant that has been achieved.

Called to serve
Following Jesus was never meant to be 1) seeking power for self or 2) getting all burnt out in the process. No, there is a better way! Jesus explained to his disciples about the true meaning of discipleship:

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (vv. 43-45)

It is a simple and yet profound truth that the road to success lies in self-abasement and service. A true follower of Jesus does not seek to be served, but to serve his or her fellow men. Tandaan ninyo ito: Jesus came hindi upang paglingkuran kundi upang maglingkod at ibigay ang kanyang buhay sa ikatutubos ng marami. In serving others, one finds the true meaning of fulfillment.

We remain as authentic followers of Jesus when we recapture the full meaning of service. What are two important aspects of service as Jesus taught?

To James and John who requested high places of honor in the new Messianic Kingdom, Jesus asked them,
Are you willing to go the way of Calvary? Are you willing to drink the cup of suffering and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with? Jesus uses two images here: cup and baptism.

First, the word 'cup.' In the Old Testament it often refers to suffering and punishment at God's hands (Ps. 75:8; Isa 51:17-23; Jer 49:12). Yes, it was the LORD's will that Jesus should suffer and even be punished for the sins of the world. Jesus drank the cup willingly. The word 'cup' then symbolized our resolve to abase ourselves and seek the lowly path for the sake of others.

I know as a pastor I am often forced to compare my achievement with other pastors. It will be interesting when I attend a seminar next week in Korea where I will be with 500 other pastors. I bet they will ask me how big my congregation is or how many assistant pastors are there in my church. We play this game of comparison. Pastors do that and I am sure people in each sector have their own 'lingo' about how to measure the success of their work. Our Lord, however, chose the lowliest path: he went to Calvary. Are we willing to choose the lowly path for the sake of others?

Second, the word 'baptism' is 'another violent image connected with sorrow and grief. It has about it the sense of being forcibly plunged beneath the waters, cast into the depths' (Ps 42:7; 69:2, 15; D. English, The Message of Mark, p. 181). Here, the key idea is identification with Jesus on his way to suffering. Is our life a living proof that we are consciously trying to follow Jesus our Lord?

James and John's answer was too quick and too easy. They said, 'yes.' But we wonder, did they really understand the full depth of the question? We think not.

How about us? Have we really grasped the implication of the call to follow Jesus? Have we accepted Jesus' teaching that following him and serving others will involve our share of drinking the cup and being baptized with the baptism of Jesus?

Called to serve stands as a central command in the enterprise of Christian discipleship. To follow Jesus is to serve others, neither out of love for power nor in the state of burnout. We are to serve others with eagerness and joy. Paul wrote to Romans:

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another about yourselves. Never lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. (12:9-13).

The list goes on. But we get the idea.

Applying to our life
Christian spirituality is very different from Muslim spirituality. It places emphasis on the interior. Love, grace and freedom we experience in Jesus shape the way we look at the world and serve people. That is why it is fundamentally important that we stay connected to Jesus. He said, 'If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing' (John 15:5)

Are you seeking power over others rather than trying to serve them? Are you all burnt out in the process of serving God and others and that all you are doing is just 'hanging in there'?

What is 'one thing' that you can ask God to change in your life so that you can serve others better? May the Lord give you insight so that you will become more a faithful follow of Jesus, a disciple whose primary orientation in life is to serve God and others.