Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

september 12
Saturday


LATERAL
VIOLENCE

READ:
Matthew 20:20-28
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Whoever desires
to become great
among you, let
him be your servant.
__Matthew 20:26
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An intriguing article in Michigan Nurse magazine called attention to "nursing's dirty little secret"__the incivility and verbal abuse that occurs among some nurses. This peer-level bullying (also known as lateral violence) takes the form of back-stabbing, innuendo, infighting, sabotage, verbal affronts, failure to respect privacy, and others.

Not only is lateral violence occurring among nurses, it's a growing problem in a host of other work environments. This bullying always includes an imbalance of power, an intent to harm, and the threat of further aggression.

Of course, this would never occur in the church--or would it? Think about the personal interaction in deacon and elder boards, church office staffs, Bible-study groups, and youth ministries. Are they ever marked by the kinds of behavior that harm, denigrate, or intimidate others? And what about in our families?

When the disciples were jockeying for position in the coming kingdom, Jesus rebuked them and said, "Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant" (Matt. 20:26). With that attitude in all our relationships, bullying will never be found among us. __Dave Egner
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```````````````Lord, may we have a servant's heart```````````````
```````````````````````In all we say and do`````````````````````
``````````````````By placing others' needs above`````````````````
`````````````````What we want to pursue. __Sper````````````````
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Only the one who serves is qualified to lead.

************Today's Bible Reading __ Matthew 20:20-28************

20 Then the mother of
Zebedee's sons came to Him

21 And He said to her,
"What do you wish?
She said to Him, "Grant
that these two sons of mine
may sit, one on Your right
hand and the other on your
left, in Your kingdom."

22 But Jesus answered and
said, "You do not know
what you ask. Are you able
to drink the cup that I am
about to drink, and be
baptized with the baptism
that I am baptized with?"

They said to Him, "We are
able."

23 So He said to them, "You
will indeed drink My cup,
and be baptized with the
baptism that I am baptized
with; but to sit on My right
hand and on My left is not
Mine to give, but it is for
those for whom it is
prepared by My Father."

24 And when the ten heard
it, they were greatly
displeased with the two
brothers. 25 But Jesus called
them to Himself and said,
"You know that the rulers of
the Gentiles lord it over
them, and those who are
great exercise authority over
them. 26 Yet it shall not be so
among you; but whoever
desires to become great
among you, let him be your
servant. 27 And whoever
desires to be first among
you, let him be your slave--

28 Just as the Son of Man did
not come to be served, but
to serve, and to give His life
a ransom for many."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

The baptism to which our Lord referred in Matthew 20:23 was
the suffering and death He would experience in providing the
atonement for our sins. For many of the disciples, it meant they
would become martyrs because of their stand for the gospel.