“Then came to him the mother of Zebedees children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able,” Matthew 20:20-22, KJV.
Focal Passage: Matthew 20:20-28
There may be things in life we ask God for before counting the cost. Quite often we may ask God for things that aren’t a necessity, but in the asking we must be willing to receive whatever comes along with that request. For instance, just as noted in the above parable the request to sit at Jesus’ right and left hand, did the mother understand what she was asking? “And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.”
Was it a selfish motive that this mother made the request for her sons, the disciples, James (the elder) and John? Or was it from a pure heart of wanting to have her sons at the closet to the throne? Was it from a place of arrogance or longing to be close to our Savior? Did the mother consider the other ten disciples who were also doing the work of the Lord who may have wanted the same thing, but knew better than to ask?
“And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren,” Matthew 20:24. Can you imagine what this would have felt like if you were working alongside the others doing the work as you were called, and your fellow worker in the faith wants to be exalted? I would say that we would probably have been a little hot under the collar as well. The Bible terms it indignation which means righteous anger. Their emotions were validated by the mere situation. Some may disagree that this was a natural thing for the mother to want the best for her children, but I view it as selfish especially when you have others who are just as faithful.
But look at what Jesus said in response after He called all of the disciples together, “…Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many,” Matthew 20:25-28, KJV.
I believe that Jesus wanted them to remain spiritually minded giving those divine decisions for God the Father to make…to God. God promised us all eternal life by accepting His son as Lord and Savior. The position He appoints to us is up to Him. Consider the place for the martyrs: “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held,” Revelation 6:9, KJV.
Let us let God be God for He knows what is best…
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