Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”
“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
- Mark 10:35-36
 
It’s like having a conversation with children. How would you respond?
 
James and John: We want you to do for us whatever we ask.
Us: No. Why would I agree to that?
 
J&J: We want you to do for us whatever we ask.
Us: Sure. What do you want? (To self: please don’t ask for something I can’t give)
 
J&J: We want you to do for us whatever we ask.
Us: I’m sure you do!
 
J&J: We want you to do for us whatever we ask.
Jesus: What do you want me to do for you?
 
Jesus doesn’t reject the setup outright as ignorant and ridiculous. He doesn’t agree and then hem and haw and retract his agreement. He doesn’t mock James and John, not even playfully. Instead, he shows interest and curiosity.
 
We all have seasons in our lives when our relationship with Jesus looks a lot like this comments / setup from James and John. We’re so certain we know what’s best, so desperate, so exhausted … we just want Jesus to be our genie, our Santa Claus, our vending machine. “Please, Jesus, just give me this one thing,” we whisper or shout in prayer.
 
Jesus’ compassionate curiosity invites us to share our requests with him, our wants and dreams and hearts’ desires. He listens. He doesn’t brush us off with a brusque “No” or a dismissive “Sure” or a sarcastic retort. As we pour out our hearts to him, he hears us and responds in love. That doesn’t always mean giving us what we ask for, but it always means giving us his best.
 
Take time today to share your heart’s desire with Jesus. Hear him say to you: “What do you want me to do for you?” That isn’t a promise to do it, but it is interest … interest in you and your dreams. What would you share with God if you knew you had his attention like this?