What Do You Want?

What do Jesus and Pink Floyd have in common? More than you might think.

We had some interesting teaching in church this past Sunday. Although I have read the text several times I never really made the connection between a couple of encounters Jesus had in the Book of Mark. Here's the first.

35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” - Mark 10-35-37

Two of Jesus' disciples, the guys who spent three years absorbing Christ's teaching, wanted power. They hadn't learned very much, had they?

Later Jesus had another encounter. This time with a blind man. Jesus asked the very same question.

51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” - Mark 10:51

The blind man just wanted to be healed. He knew who Jesus was even though he was blind. The blind man didn't want power or glory for himself. He just wanted to be made whole. And isn't that what Jesus came to do? To heal the sick and raise the dead? To sacrifice Himself on our behalf that WE might be made whole?

And the Pink Floyd connection? It's in the song at the end of this post. Here's a little taste of some of the lyrics.

Do you want my blood? Do you want my tears?
What do you want?
What do you want from me?

You can lose yourself this night
See inside there is nothing to hide
Turn and face the light
What do you want from me?

God has the power to give us what ever we want. But why should He? He is more interested in giving us what we actually need. But until we "turn and face the light" and "lose ourselves tonight" we can never get what we really need. Jesus.

What Do You Want From Me? - David Gilmore