Recapitulation
As they make their way south from Galilee through Perea, we
have seen how Jesus has been teaching His disciples on some crucial character
issues. He turns their thinking upside
down with His identification of greatness in the kingdom with humility and explaining
that entrance into the kingdom involves coming to Him in belief. Last time we saw that when the kingdom comes,
there will be generous recompense for those things and relationships that were
lost to follow Him in obedience. In the
meantime, until the day of harvest, He provides out of a heart of mercy and
generosity and concern for His workers in accordance with their needs.
Trouble Ahead
Now in our next two pericopes in Matthew 20:17-28, Matthew records Jesus’ third specific prediction
of His own coming death with a hint of coming difficulties for the twelve as
well. Will they continue to follow Him?
In verses 17-19,
Jesus takes His disciples aside and earnestly warned them of His soon coming
death. There is no record of what they
said but they got an earful of detail.
Jesus (calling Himself the Son of Man as he frequently did) told them
that He would be delivered over to the Jewish religious leaders to be
condemned. Of course, we know now the
painful truth of Judas’ treachery. Jesus
already knew about it but did nothing to avoid it. But the Jews would not kill Him, instead they
would hand Him over to the Gentiles (i.e. the Romans) to be mocked, flogged,
and crucified. Jesus has catalogued in
advance the injustices He would experience culminating in His death by
crucifixion. But, He would be raised on
the third day!
Mrs. Zebedee’s Request
Then, Matthew records a curious interruption. Mrs. Zebedee took this opportunity to fast
forward to Jesus’ kingdom. This is the
mother of James and John (two of the ‘inner three disciples’—Peter being the
third). We get the picture of this woman
kneeling before Jesus—with James and John also kneeling—and requesting a
special favor. This pericope is recorded
in verses 20-28.
She asked, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one
at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus answered by speaking to the two
disciples. “You don’t know what you are
asking.” Those places at Jesus right
hand and left were places of honor. She
was praying without understanding. But
notice that Jesus doesn’t berate Mrs. Zebedee or her sons. Instead He questions them on their
understanding of the path that He and they must all tread. (What are your
expectations for the path ahead of you?)
Are you able to “drink the cup that I am to drink?” (Are you able to suffer like I am about to
do?) They replied in the
affirmative. And Jesus nodded and said, that’s
right. You will “drink my cup.” You will suffer in the days that lie
ahead. James would be killed in
Jerusalem as recorded in Acts 12. John
would suffer imprisonment and banishment.
But, these details would be hidden from them for now.
Reserved Places of Honor
But what about the places of honor? Those places are reserved “for those for whom
it has been prepared by my Father.” This
desire of the Zebedee family is not for Jesus’ to grant. There are things Jesus
cannot do! He cannot because it goes
against His character. He has submitted
His will to the Father Who has plans for honoring certain persons.
It is at this point that our mind runs ahead to that dark
afternoon on Golgotha — “skull mountain.”
Jesus’ mutilated body was hanging from spikes on a wooden cross situated
between two thieves. A crown of thorns
on His head partially obscured the sign written in three languages proclaiming
that this is the king of the Jews. One
of the thieves mocked Him and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, come down
from that cross and rescue us as well.”
But the other said, “We deserve this fate, but this One has done no
wrong.” Turning to Jesus he said, “Lord
remember me when you enter Your kingdom.”
Jesus replied, “This day you will be with Me in paradise.” The places on His right and on His left, were
reserved that afternoon for two who drank the cup of suffering they rightly
deserved. Yet, one of them is remembered
to this day with high honor.
The Honor of Suffering for Jesus
But the disciples also get to suffer—not for their sins but
for Jesus’ sake. This kind of suffering
is an honor. Peter saw it that way. History tells us that when they were
crucifying him in Rome, he begged to have them crucify Him upside down because
he didn’t to deserve to die like Jesus! Jesus
has also promised generous recompense for all those things we lose for His sake.
Remember our last study in the parable of the laborers in
the vineyard. Do not begrudge Jesus’
generosity to others—especially those whom you believe deserve less than they
get or get more than you do.
Now the other ten disciples are watching this scene open-mouthed
–perhaps initially wishing their own mother would go to bat for them with
Jesus—but in the end, they all professed indignation at James and John for
trying to get a better deal than the rest of them!
Once again, Jesus took command of the situation and used it
as another ‘teachable moment.’ They all
needed to deal with their ambition for position and power and authority. He pointed out that this was the very thing
practiced by their Gentile overlords and so despised by the Jews. “It shall not be so among you.” The way of the world was to climb over
everybody in a dog eat dog battle to the top.
But, Jesus said this was not to characterize His followers.
Greatness = Servanthood
“Whoever would be great among you must be your servant.” This is the word also translated deacon in
the rest of the New Testament. Deacons
were to be servants of the church. “And
whoever would be first among you must be your slave.” This is the word indicating a bond
servant. It indicated a person who
willingly submitted his or her life to another as if they were the property of
another. Paul described himself in this
way. (Paul a bondservant of Jesus Christ . . .) Greatness is measured by
voluntary service to others.
Then the kicker.
Jesus once again identifies Himself as the Son of Man—the Messiah
prophesied by the prophet Daniel. I have
come “not to be served but to serve and to give (My) life as a ransom for
many.”
Jesus’ cup involved being the suffering servant predicted by
Isaiah. He had come not to set up His
kingdom now (to be served) but to lower Himself and serve us by giving His
life. His life was not taken from
Him—but it was given. His life would
serve as a “ransom for many.” His life
would be forfeit so that we might have life.
While we have
sin-tainted lives unqualified to ransom anyone from the wages of sin, still we
can and ought to see service to one another as the highest use of our life
while we wait for the harvest and the coming of the kingdom. Jesus’ own example of selflessness cannot be
overstated.
Philippians
2:5-11 (ESV)
5 Have
this mind (or attitude) among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,6 who,
though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be
grasped,7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a
servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a
cross. 9 Therefore
God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every
name, 10 so
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and
under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Because of the curse, we are all going to die. Our lives here are very limited. But Jesus allowed the curse of sin to fall on
Him even though He knew no sin. Because
of this, He promises new life that never ends to those who believe in Him. Meanwhile, He calls us, like the disciples, to
follow Him. Shall we live our lives like the rest of the world and drink the
Kool-Aid that falsely promises a life of self-fulfillment? Or will we drink the cup that He has for
us—using our lives to serve Him and others.
As Jim Elliot said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain
what he cannot lose.”
O the wonderful Cross, o the wonderful
Cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live
O the wonderful Cross, o the wonderful Cross
All who gather here by grace, draw near and bless Your name — Chris Tomlin
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live
O the wonderful Cross, o the wonderful Cross
All who gather here by grace, draw near and bless Your name — Chris Tomlin
© 2018 Eric Thimell (except for excerpts noted above)
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