Not So With You
Read Matthew 20:20-28.
I'd be indignant. Wouldn't you? Actually, I think I'd be downright mad. James and John were trying to get a "leg up" on the rest of the disciples. And more, they sent their mother to Jesus to lock in their ultimate position. Make no mistake, what Mom is asking about here is power. She wants to make sure her boys have the most important places in the kingdom she is sure Jesus is going to set up. (Now, according to Mark, the boys asked about it themselves, but that may be Mark trying to make them look better.) The right hand and the left hand were the places of power in ancient kingdoms; she wants to make sure James and John ultimately sit in those places. She wants to get a contract that her boys will be Jesus' second and third in command.
I wonder if Jesus rolled his eyes. I wonder if he sighed. Neither Matthew nor Mark tell us those details, but Jesus has to be at least a bit frustrated at this point. The disciples don't get it. Sure, Mom doesn't get it, but she hasn't been hanging out with Jesus for all this time like they have. Her boys should understand. But either they make the request themselves (Mark) or they stand silently by while Mom makes the request (Matthew). Either way, they're involved and they have missed Jesus' whole way of life.
For that matter, so have the other disciples. They are "indignant" when they find out about this end run. Maybe they're indignant because of what the brothers did, or maybe (I think more likely) they're indignant because they didn't think of it first! They're indignant (mad) because it seems they're about to be shut out of the important places of power. And power is, after all, what Jesus is all about, right?
Jesus cuts off their thoughts. "No so with you," he says. You are not about power. Neither am I. You are about service. You are about loving others. You are about giving your life for the sake of all. Not so with you.
Every time the church has centered itself on who has power, on achieving power, on asserting power—every time the church has lost sight of its call to serve rather than to be served—the gospel loses. That's because we don't serve a Lord who is ultimately about power (though he has all the power in the universe). We worship a servant King who washes feet.
The world wants and craves and demands power. Not so with you.
I'd be indignant. Wouldn't you? Actually, I think I'd be downright mad. James and John were trying to get a "leg up" on the rest of the disciples. And more, they sent their mother to Jesus to lock in their ultimate position. Make no mistake, what Mom is asking about here is power. She wants to make sure her boys have the most important places in the kingdom she is sure Jesus is going to set up. (Now, according to Mark, the boys asked about it themselves, but that may be Mark trying to make them look better.) The right hand and the left hand were the places of power in ancient kingdoms; she wants to make sure James and John ultimately sit in those places. She wants to get a contract that her boys will be Jesus' second and third in command.
I wonder if Jesus rolled his eyes. I wonder if he sighed. Neither Matthew nor Mark tell us those details, but Jesus has to be at least a bit frustrated at this point. The disciples don't get it. Sure, Mom doesn't get it, but she hasn't been hanging out with Jesus for all this time like they have. Her boys should understand. But either they make the request themselves (Mark) or they stand silently by while Mom makes the request (Matthew). Either way, they're involved and they have missed Jesus' whole way of life.
For that matter, so have the other disciples. They are "indignant" when they find out about this end run. Maybe they're indignant because of what the brothers did, or maybe (I think more likely) they're indignant because they didn't think of it first! They're indignant (mad) because it seems they're about to be shut out of the important places of power. And power is, after all, what Jesus is all about, right?
Jesus cuts off their thoughts. "No so with you," he says. You are not about power. Neither am I. You are about service. You are about loving others. You are about giving your life for the sake of all. Not so with you.
Every time the church has centered itself on who has power, on achieving power, on asserting power—every time the church has lost sight of its call to serve rather than to be served—the gospel loses. That's because we don't serve a Lord who is ultimately about power (though he has all the power in the universe). We worship a servant King who washes feet.
The world wants and craves and demands power. Not so with you.
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