A Word about Being Careful What We Wish For

 

Today I want to share a word about being careful what we wish for as I comment on Mark 10 35-45:

In one episode of the popular TV show “The X-Files,” the lead character, FBI Agent Fox Mulder encounters a genie with a bad attitude. She was required to grant him three wishes because he had freed her from captivity, but because she was jaded and had a malevolent streak, she would interpret his wishes in ways that were literally true, but destructive. 

For example, when he wished for peace and quiet, the genie made everyone else in the world disappear. When Mulder protested that wasn’t what he wanted, the genie just replied that he shouldn’t complain because he got the peace and quiet he had wished for. This was a humorous but powerful lesson about unintended consequences. 

The story told by our focal passage today also teaches some powerful lessons. Mark 10:35-45 reads:

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What is it you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They replied, "We are able." Then Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, "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."

An Audacious Wish:

First, this passage reminds us that the disciples were human, with all the frailties and foibles that implies. In fact, the very term “disciple'' means to be a learner, and these men were still being taught by Jesus until the night He was betrayed and through the 40 days He was with them after the resurrection. We also need to remember that the Holy Spirit had not yet come to them, and they were limited in their comprehension and ability to follow Jesus. The disciples were real people, and this is never more clearly shown than in this passage. James and John were demonstrating their immaturity, which soon caused the other disciples to respond in frustration.

An Expensive Wish:

Another lesson this passage teaches us is that we often underestimate the cost of realizing our dreams. It is easy to sit back on our couches and say, “I’d give anything to be able to do X, Y, or Z!” The truth is, however, we really wouldn’t give anything to accomplish a goal, or we’d already have done it! 

Athletes don’t become champions without a dedication to practice, medical students don’t become doctors without years of study and practice, and musicians don’t play in symphony orchestras without hours upon hours of rehearsal. Obviously a few savants do exist who can excel in a skill without effort, but they are the exceptions that prove the rule. 

Growth in any area of life takes dedication and commitment, which people are often not willing to give. Our spiritual life is no different. We can grieve the Holy Spirit if we do not nurture and develop the gifts He has given us. 

An Inappropriate Wish:

Finally, we need to see that God’s economy is different from the world’s economy. In fact, God’s way and the ways of the world are 180 degrees out of phase. That’s why Jesus said that the path of righteousness is narrow and the path to destruction is broad. When God’s people adopt the ways of the world it never turns out well. Conflicts arise between Christian brothers and sisters, and the results are wrecked ministries, careers, marriages, and homes. The way forward is to drink from the same cup as Jesus, the cup of love, kindness, humility, truth, and righteousness.

Conclusion:

We truly need to be careful what we wish for. If we wish to gain the power of the world we can do so, but we will also experience the corrosive effects that type of power brings. The Bible is filled with examples of people who did so, and their end was not pleasant. 

On the other hand, if we wish to gain the power of God we can do so, and while we may experience rejection by the world, we will find ourselves drawn safely and securely into the bosom of God almighty.

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt