Me First!

"James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him, 'Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.' He replied, 'What do you wish me to do for you?' They answered him, 'Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.' " - Mark 10:35-37

James and John have been around Jesus for awhile. And while they certainly were extraordinary men, they still were human and still had weaknesses. In this case, James and John were feeling like they were pretty special - and thought that should be recognized when they make it to Heaven. After all, they've been in the weeds with Jesus, turning away from their old life and following Jesus in a new life. Why shouldn't they be afforded this special privilege?

I find that, some days, I do that too. That there must be something special waiting just for me, because of all the good things I say and do while I'm here on earth. 

But when it comes down to it, there was only one person - ever - that was more special in the eyes of God than anyone else. That person was his only son, Jesus Christ. It's a hard thing to swallow - especially on those days when you feel like you've gone the extra mile. But in the eyes of God, we are all equal - all his children, doing our best to help each other out. And when we do go that extra mile, we should take comfort in how pleased God is with us - and how we've helped out someone and made them feel special, or just helped them get by. 

It may show them just what's waiting if they do the same.