She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my
two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on
your left.”
22 But Jesus answered by saying to them,
“You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of
suffering I am about to drink?”
“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”
23 Jesus told them, “You will indeed
drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right
or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”
24 When the ten other disciples heard
what James and John had asked, they were indignant. 25 But
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world
lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those
under them. 26 But among you it will be different. Whoever
wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and
whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For
even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his
life as a ransom for many.” You know how many times have we done this?
Or have I done this? Felt like I deserved to be first for something because
I've done the work and I've earned the place of honor? My guess would be too
many times. Jesus himself came to serve not to be served. Yet I forget that all
too often. Pride is a serious pitfall for me. I want to do what is right but my
pride stands in the way too often.
____________________________________________________________________________________
John
Burnett: 20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee
came to [a]Jesus with her sons, bowing
down and making a request of Him. 21 And He said to her, “What
do you wish?” She *said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of
mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.” 22 But
Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the
cup that I am about to drink?” They *said to Him, “We are able.” 23 He
*said to them, “My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My
left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been
prepared by My Father.”
24 And hearing this, the ten
became indignant 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 their great men exercise authority over them. 26 It
is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall
be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you
shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to
be served, but to serve, and to give His [b]life a ransom for
many.” Pride makes people do things that they
shouldn’t do. I am just thankful for the grace He has shown me that
allows me to have a relationship with Him and gives me eternal life and
entrance into heaven. I will be happy to sit wherever He has prepared for
me and I will praise Him for it.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Allen Michaels: 20 Then the mother of
Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of
him. According to Mark 10:35, (Then
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they
said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask."), her sons were
James and John. Even though she gave Jesus worship, her real motive was to get
something from Jesus. She wanted James and John to have special treatment. As
ridiculous as it sounds, this happens today in our churches and in our own
lives. We play religious games, expecting God to give us something in return.
True worship, however, adores and praises Christ for who he is and for what he
has done. A parents’ desire for their children’s advancement must be held in
check as they pray that God’s will be done in their children’s lives.
21 “What is it you want?” he asked.
She said, “Grant that one of
these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your
kingdom.”
22 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to
them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” James, John, and their mother failed to grasp Jesus’
previous teachings on rewards (19:16-30) and eternal life (20:1-16). They
failed to understand the suffering
“We can,” they answered. James, John, and their mother failed to grasp Jesus’
previous teachings on rewards (19:16-30) and eternal life (20:1-16). They
failed to understand the suffering they must face before living in the glory of
God’s kingdom. The “cup” was the suffering and crucifixion that Christ faced. Both
James and John would eventually face great suffering. James would be put to
death for his faith, and John would be exiled.
23 Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my
cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong
to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” God, and only God, makes the decisions about the
leadership in heaven. Such rewards are not granted as favors. They are for
those who have maintained their commitment to Jesus in spite of severe trials.
24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant
with the two brothers. The other disciples were
upset with James and John after their mom jumped in and tried to get her sons
top positions. This was because ALL of the disciples wanted to be the greatest
(18:1) and honestly felt they deserved it, but Jesus taught them that the
greatest person in God’s kingdom is the servant of all. Authority is given not
for self-importance, ambition, or respect, but for useful service to God and
his creation.
25 Jesus
called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord
it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not
so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your
servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— Instead of using people, we are to serve them.. Jesus’
mission was to serve others and to give his life away. A real leader has a
servant’s heart.
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