The man who came to Jesus is someone we would consider “good.” If he was in your military community, he would attend chapel and might serve as an usher. He would be squared away as a leader and would live his life by good and honorable principles. He would have a chest full of medals representing his wealth of experience over multiple deployments and years of sacrificial service to his nation. He looks forward to the day he will retire comfortably on his military pension. He comes to Jesus and asks what he has to do to have eternal life. Perhaps he is feeling a bit empty, even nervous.  Surely there must be one more thing he can do to be certain. Jesus tells him that to receive eternal life he must give up his medals, his service, and his military pension, and follow him. The man walks away grieving because his medals, his service, and his military benefits are his identity and his security.

What are you willing to give up to be a follower of Jesus? The rich man who approached Jesus thought maybe he just needed to add something to his already noble activities. He wanted Jesus to say “add this one thing,” but instead Jesus said to give up everything.

Jesus does not make this direction to selling everything into a blanket requirement to following him, nor was he saying all his disciples must live in poverty. But the actions of Jesus emphasize that eternal life is not something we are able to obtain by virtue of our possessions, strength, wisdom, or authority. Dedication to Christ and his mission is not just something to add on to the other things that are important. The challenge of Jesus to those who would follow him is total commitment.

Put yourself in the place of the person who approached Jesus. How would you respond to his requirement for achieving eternal life?

Leadership expert Simon Sinek was inspired to write a book he called Leaders Eat Last. The title was based on his conversation with a Marine Corps general. In an interview about the book, Sinek recalled asking the general, “What makes the Marine Corps so amazing?” The general responded with the three words, “Officers eat last.” Sinek explains:

If you go to a Marine Corps chow hall anywhere in the world, you will see the Marines lined up in rank order. The most senior person will be at the back of the line and the most junior person eats first. No one tells them they have to do it and it is not in any rulebook. It is because of the way they view the responsibility of leadership. We think leadership is about rank and power; they think of leadership as the responsibility for other human beings.

Disciples and brothers James and John could have used some Marine Corps leadership training. Their self-centered request of Jesus was audacious and displayed their total lack of awareness concerning the mission of Jesus and those who would follow him. Once again, these guys weren’t getting the message. This request comes directly on the heels of these words from Jesus: “But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Mark 10:31). Jesus could not have been clearer that the role of his followers was to be the least of all and the servant of all.

The request of James and John was not about service; it was about ambition and jealousy. They did not want to accomplish something—they wanted to be recognized. This request was about promoting themselves and not the Lord.

These disciples were handpicked by Jesus and here they were displaying selfish ambition, afraid one would get more recognition than the other. If we see this in the lives of the apostles who walked with Christ, don’t be surprised if you see it in yourself or in other Christians. But Jesus’ path to the head of the line is being the servant of all and responding to him in obedience.

Do you think there can be such a thing as godly ambition? If so, what might it look like?

My friend and fellow military wife Gwen has a great sign hanging on the wall of her kitchen. It reads, “Interruptions are my ministry.” Is that how you view interruptions?

Military wives know something about interruptions, don’t we? Military orders do not come with a courtesy call to find out if now is a convenient time. Some of the military interruptions I’ve experienced include:

An interruption of a career

An interruption of a holiday celebration

An interruption of a school semester

An interruption of a vacation

An interruption while on a date with my husband …

I could go on—as could you.

Have you noticed, as you read through the journeys of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark, how often he is interrupted? At least that is what it looks like from our perspective. This blind man sitting by the side of the road is one of many examples. Did Jesus really experience interruptions or was he just fulfilling his plan for his earthly ministry? Look at the way he responded to interruptions. There is no hint of annoyance or frustration about blind Bartimaeus breaking into his schedule. Instead, he met this interruption, like all the others, with compassionate service to whoever approached him.

I have to ask myself: What if the interruptions in my life are opportunities to reach out to others and further mature me as a Christ follower? Can God even use interruptions from the military to make that happen?

How would your view of military life change if you viewed the interruptions it brought as part of the mission of God for you? What opportunities might those interruptions hold?

I remember when my husband’s military orders arrived for Korea and I sighed, “Oh, no.” I remember when my husband’s military orders arrived for Ft. Bragg, and I sighed, “Oh, no.” I remember when my husband’s orders arrived for Washington, DC and I sighed, “Oh, no.” You get the pattern. There were more times than not that military orders held destinations to which I did not want to go.

The account of Jesus in Mark 10:32–34 (moving back a few verses) amounts to him reading his upcoming “orders” to the disciples. His assignment in Jerusalem meant his death.

You can read about his celebratory arrival in Jerusalem in Mark 11:1–11. But even with the glowing reception Jesus first received there, it is safe to conclude Jerusalem was not a destination to which he looked forward. The Gospel of Luke tells us, “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). I get the picture of him walking with purposeful and even urgent steps ahead of the disciples. Jesus did not go to Jerusalem because he looked forward to suffering and dying on the cross. He went because he knew his sacrificial death would make possible eternal life for all who believe on him.

Sisters, as we travel on mission with God, we are sometimes asked to go where we do not want to go. Maybe it is possible that, at the place we don’t want to go, the Lord has something he wants us to do.

When I look back at those places I did not want to go, I find that they hold some of my fondest memories. They were places of significant personal growth and meaningful service. Unlike Jesus, I could not see beforehand what my next destination held. But in retrospect, I give thanks to the Lord for the way he worked in my life in each assignment.

What have you learned from going to places you did not want to go? How do even those places fit into the mission God has for you? Are you in one of those places now?