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Jesus got the disciples together to settle things down. “Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served – and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage”.
When I go out to eat, I’m pretty picky about where I sit. Booths are preferred over open tables. I won’t sit at a high top. I don’t want to be near the kitchen or the front door or anywhere I could be bumped by foot traffic. Banquettes are best. I want to see the whole room, without being in the middle of it. Next to the window is nice, unless it’s cold out. But if the hostess explains she can’t oblige my request because she has to spread out seating in different sections for the sake of the servers, I understand and take what I’m given. I was a restaurant server once too, and I know how hard it is to provide good service when the place is full, even more than capacity!
I can relate to James and John when they want to sit at Jesus’ right and left, and I can also relate to Jesus, who sounds so exasperated with his demanding disciples who want the best seats without considering what Jesus, and anyone who wants those seats, will and must do to serve.
We’ve all waited in line before to get into the latest place, wishing we’d somehow be picked to skip ahead and sail through the velvet rope. But just think: It’s the hustling hard workers making it a foodie heaven who are already where everyone wants to be.