Read Mark 10:32-35 with your family.

So often when people are important they are celebrated. We are important at our birthdays when friends or family celebrate us becoming a year older. In school the important students are usually brought up front and nice things are said about them. In church the people at the front are known as the leaders and are given respect.

James and John wanted to be special to Jesus. They wanted to be in front with Jesus and get the respect that he was getting. However, being special in Jesus’ world did not mean being up front or having nice places to sit. Jesus knew that whomever was closest to him were the ones who would suffer the most.

God’s world is different than the one most of us live in. In our world we are taught that being the first is almost always the best. But in God’s world we are reminded that the leaders help others and don’t worry about being the first or the best or the richest. We are here to make life better for each other, not just ourselves.