Matthew 20:20-28

Matthew 20:20-28

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee drew near to Him with her sons while kneeling down and while asking something from Him.  And He said to her, “What do you desire?”  She says to Him, “Speak, in order that these my two sons should be placed one out of your right hand and one out of your left hand in your kingdom.  And after answering Jesus said, “You do not know what you ask.  Are you all powerful enough to drink the cup that I am about to drink?”  They say to Him, “We are powerful enough.”  He says to them, “In one case you will drink my cup; but in the other case to be placed out of my right hand and out of my left hand is not mine to give.  But rather it is for those whom it has been prepared by my Father.”  And after the ten heard, they became indignant regarding the two brothers.  And Jesus, who called them to Himself, said, “You all have known that the rulers of the Gentiles reign over them and the great exercise authority over them.  But it will not be this way in you all.  Rather, whoever in you all who should desire to become great will be your servant.   And whoever in you all who should desire to become first will be your slave.  In the same way the Son of man did not come to be served but to serve – and to give His life as a ransom for many.   

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

It is very poignant that this story comes in the context of the surrounding verses.  James and John – led very much by their mother – come before Jesus because they want to be great.  She wants them to be held in high esteem.  What mother doesn’t want the best experience for their offspring?  What mother hasn’t pushed the envelope for their kids?  It is a natural reaction, but it is a reaction Jesus corrects.  Jesus reminds them that greatness is defined by the Father alone.  It is up to the Father to know the hearts of men and judge them.  We might want the best, but in that is perhaps one of our greatest failings.  We need to learn to want what the Father wants for us.  What the Father desires for us is what is best for us.

Do you want to be the greatest and to be a success?  How can this be a good thing if not pushed too far?  Why is it better still to learn to want what the Father wants for you?  What does the Father want for you?  How can you know?

Second Thought:

When the ten hear what James and John did, they became indignant.  They became angry, probably out of jealousy.  Here we have one of the major downfalls of ultra-competitiveness.  When we become competitive it is easy to see the people around us as adversaries.  The ten were allowing themselves to become angry with Jesus’ own followers!  They were becoming angry with their own kind!  The children of God were fighting among themselves.  God’s children – a people who are only ever in that position because of grace – should not allow themselves to become angry at other children of God.  If we are in God, we should be able to settle our differences peaceably, much like Jesus does among them in this story.  We as human beings are quick to be angry – especially at those whom God has called into His family with us.

Have you ever been indignant towards another Christian?  Is this godly behavior?  Is this a godly response to Christ’s sacrifice for our sake?

Third Thought:

In order to make a point of all the mistakes made by all the disciples, Jesus reminds them about how He has lived His life.  James and John want to be great, so Jesus reminds them that the Son came to give up His life for other people.  The disciples become indignant towards James and John, so Jesus reminds them that the greatest people are those who become slaves and servants to others.  God’s love is about sacrificial compassion, not the power to command.  God has the power to command.  He could snap His fingers and everything would obey.  He could give the command and we’d all be condemned in our sin.  But God did not desire to exercise this kind of authority.  Rather than use the power He had, God sent His Son to die for our sake.  That’s what it means to be great.  We want to get angry and assert our power to get our way.  That’s not the model of Christ.  Jesus allowed Himself to die in the service of others.

Where do you fall on this spectrum?  Are you quick to assert your power and authority so that you can get your way?  Or are you quick to forfeit yourself to the call of God, whatever that might be?  Do you rule over other people or do you serve them?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 20:29-34