Mark 10

The scriptures that stood out to me this week were in Mark 10:35-45 where James and John ask Jesus to sit on the right side and the left side of Him. Jesus answers them by saying that they don't what they are asking for and that they must "drink of the cup that [He] drinks of" and be baptized the way that He has been baptized. They answer Him by saying that they have already done this but Jesus answers them by saying it is not his place to grant that reward. This scripture makes so much sens to me because there are specific doctrinal truths that are explained here. First of all, when Jesus says that we have to drink the cup that He drinks of means that we have to live the way that Christ did and experience our own Gethsamane. I think it was Elder Holland says that every missionary will go through their own "gethsamane," however that may look like. Not only do we have to endure hard times but we have to endure them well and show forth Christ-like attributes. It requires a lot of humility and faith to "drink of the cup that [He] drinks of." Second, He says that we have to be baptized the way that He was. That means that we have to baptized by the authority of Jesus Christ and we have to make those specific covenants in order to inherit eternal life. Christ was provided us an example when He was baptized-- that all men have to be baptized to enter the kingdom of God. Making the baptismal covenant is the gateway to eternal life. Third, it is not Christ that judges us, it is the Father, but Christ is our advocate with the Father and will plead our cause if we have repented.

The last thing that I want to point out was what Jesus taught His disciples in the later verses of those passages. He says that whoever is chiefest among you, let him be your servant. I didn't know what this meant until my mission president said that the primary purpose of leadership is to serve; it is merely a greater opportunity to serve and to lead by example. We were called to be servant leaders. I am so grateful that my mission president taught us that because that is an eternal principle that we can take in every calling that we have outside of our missions. I am so grateful for that concept.