阅读经文 

在1992年，美国佛罗里达州数以千计的屋顶被飓风安德鲁严重损坏了。过了不久，一则关于三位母亲在餐馆相聚时的幽默故事，开始在坊间传流。其中一位母亲自豪地谈到她的律师儿子，另一位则说她的儿子是医生；但当第三位母亲说她的儿子是盖屋顶的工人时，餐馆中所有的顾客都蜂涌至她的座位，要获取他儿子的电话号码。

雅各和约翰仍未明白关于耶稣的奥秘——但他们知道祂的作为是非同凡响的，所以，不论祂作什么，他们都希望能够在其中占据特别的地位。于是他们的母亲便提出这个特别的请求：“让我的儿子成为祢的左右手！”

其余十个门徒生气了，因为他们也希望在耶稣赐的能力和权利中居于榜首。 于是耶稣叫了他们来，要澄清一下祂做事的原则。在政府和大部分其他制度中，坐最高位的有最大的权柄——但耶稣说：“只是在你们中间不可这样。”跟从耶稣意味着奉祂的名去爱邻舍。对跟从耶稣的人来说，为首的就要率先作仆人。

在走上十字架的前一个晚上，耶稣为祂的门徒洗脚时，祂向他们重申这个教导：“我给你们作了榜样，叫你们照着我向你们所作的去作”。（约 13:15）

The roofs of thousands of Florida homes were badly damaged by Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Soon afterward, a humorous story circulated about three mothers in a restaurant. One spoke proudly of her lawyer son, and another of her son, a doctor. But when the third mother said that her son was a roofer, all the customers stormed her table to ask for his phone number.

James and John did not yet understand what Jesus was all about—but they knew it was BIG, and they wanted a special place in whatever it was. So their mother made this special request: “Make my boys your number one and your number two!”

The ten other disciples were furious, because they too wanted to be first in Jesus’ order of power and privilege.

Jesus called a meeting to clarify his guiding principles. In government and most other systems, the highest positions have the greatest authority—but “not so with you,” Jesus said. To follow Jesus is to love your neighbors for his sake. A top follower of Jesus is a top servant.

This is the lesson Jesus reiterated when he washed his disciples’ feet, the night before he went to the cross: “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:15).