As Francis described it in the video session, what was Peter’s misunderstanding about Jesus’s mission? How do you think Peter (and, presumably, the other disciples) arrived at that wrong conclusion?
Read 8:34–38. Based on this passage, what’s the real mission of the Christ?
What challenge does Jesus lay down before his followers and the disciples? How does Jesus’s challenge differ from Peter’s implied expectations?
Francis said that the road to glory will include suffering. What kind of discipleship is he calling us to? What might that look like practically?
What’s the hardest aspect of discipleship for you? What presents the biggest challenge? Where are you having trouble obeying Jesus?
At the end of our passage for this week, Jesus’s disciples have one last request for Jesus. Read Mark 10:35–41.
What are James and John asking for? What’s Jesus’s answer?
James and John were there when Jesus was transfigured. They know what he looks like in power and they want in on the deal, much to their comrades’ consternation. Jesus, however, turns the conversation on its head.
Jesus establishes a different metric of greatness—not power, but servitude. We are to be servants (diakonos) as we follow the example of our Lord.
How does Jesus’s concept of greatness contrast with the world’s?
Name one lie about greatness that you believed until you understood Jesus’s perspective.
In what ways do you follow Jesus through serving others?
Service and sacrifice. That’s what it looks like to follow Jesus. No power. No glory. No fame. Just humble servanthood and self-sacrifice.
Take a minute or two and identify one person you can go out of your way to serve in the week ahead. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture—in fact it probably shouldn’t be. Instead, focus on how you can surrender your own self-interests to serve someone else.
How can you discover needs of those in your community or church? What can you do to meet some of those needs? Think simply and practically. Utilize the resources in your group, then make arrangements to get out there and serve your neighbors.
