Christ did not please himself

Paul doesn’t often appeal to the teachings of Jesus. Sometimes Paul simply takes a big global snapshot of Jesus — like one of those pictures from the space rockets of planet earth. In Romans 15:3, Paul says “For Christ did not please himself.” We learn plenty here:

First, we learn what Paul means by “pleasing oneself.” It means self-preservation at the expense of building others up.
Second, it sure seems to me that Paul is referring to Mark 10:45 — the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. The OT support, drawn from Psalm 69:9, speaks of the righteous Israelite whose zeal for the house of the Lord drew opposition and was met by endurance to the bitter end — as it was also enveloped by confidence of vindication.
Third, this leads Paul to a reflection: the ancient Scriptures were written then but are valuable for us now in order to generate hope in us.