Do you have someone at your workplace that is always promoting themselves? Perhaps your kids play on a sports team and there is always a particular parent that is brown nosing the coach so their kid can get more playing time. This is exactly how Jesus’ disciples felt when James and John’s momma asked Jesus to give them the honor to sit on the right and left of Jesus in His kingdom. Why are some parents so ambitious about their kids being the star of the show, what drives them to do such crazy things? Before we look at this issue of the momma’s ambition lets look at the background of James.
Background
James and his brother John are partners with Peter in a fishing business. Their dad is named Zebedee and he is probably the chief owner of the fishing business. James and John are both on the inner circle of Jesus disciples. Peter, James and John are probably the three closest disciples Jesus had. When Jesus went up on the mountain and His clothes became brilliantly white and Moses and Elijah showed up the three amigos were there (Matt 17:1). The second major scene we see is the night Jesus was arrested and the three amigos were there in the Garden of Gethsemane. This is the night that Jesus was in agonizing prayer before He was arrested and killed on the cross. The only time the Bible tells an account of James by himself without his brother John is in Acts 12:2.
James and John are called the “Sons of Thunder” and it is unknown how they got this name. However, we do see an account where they wanted to call down fire from heaven (Luke 9:54) because the Samaritans did not receive Jesus. Thunder makes a lot of noise and captures everyone’s attention, similar to when their momma asked Jesus to put the brothers on the right and left of Him in His kingdom.
Wrong Ambitions
Matt 20
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.
21 And He said to her, “What do you wish?”
She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”
22 But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”
They said to Him, “We are able.”
23 So He said to them, “You will indeed drink 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 is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”
24 And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased 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 those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
The Scene
Jesus had finished explaining in a parable that the first will be last and the last will be first (Matt 20:1-16). Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem and the disciples are following Jesus; included in this group are the women that provided food and substance for the disciples, which included the Salome, the mother of James and John. According to Mark 10:32 as the disciples were following Jesus; He was telling them what was going to happen to Him in Jerusalem. The disciples were both amazed and afraid as Jesus marched toward Jerusalem. This was to be the final missionary journey with Jesus in the flesh, the time frame this account happens is probably a week before the week Jesus goes to the cross.
People who say Jesus was just a nice man with good teachings don’t know the real Jesus. Jesus was every ounce a true man; willing to march steadfast to Jerusalem to be beaten, spit, cursed and crucified just so we can be saved from our sins and that includes you partner! The disciples were scared but also excited expecting Jesus to establish His rule on earth shortly. They were excited to be on the ruling council with Jesus. The combination of excitement and fear puts your mind on the edge and all your senses become super charged. While they are super charged what you say during those moments is truly what is in your heart.
Mommas Boys
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.
21 And He said to her, “What do you wish?”
She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”
The mother of James and John followed Jesus as well, as a matter of fact we see her at the cross when Christ was crucified (Matt 27:55) and she will be found going to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body with perfumes (Mark 16:1). The old Devil must have stepped up the activity during this time, trying to influence the disciples because Peter has already been rebuke for his selfish ambitions. Jesus told the group of disciples that He would suffer many things and be killed and rise on the third day. Peter replied “Far be if from you Lord, I will not let this happen to You!” Jesus than said, “Get behind me Satan, you are an offense to me, for you are not mindful of the things of God but the things of man” (Matt 16:23). Peter was sharply rebuked for him wanting to defend Jesus, not understanding the death of Jesus was God’s plan.
The bottom line is James and John were concerned about their reward. What is interesting is remember Peter is lightning and thunder (James and John ) follows, who is the one who got the disciples to start thinking about their reward in Christ’s kingdom…Peter. Matthew 19:19 Peter heard Jesus telling the rich young ruler to go sell all his possessions to be able to live forever (eternal life). That statement reminded Peter that they left everything they had to follow Jesus (Matt 19:27) so he asked Jesus “Therefore what shall we have?” Jesus replied that when He sits on His throne of glory “you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” It is quite possible this got James and John to start thinking about their reward which after dwelling on it, they put momma up to the task to ask Jesus if they could sit on His left and right. The things we say and do affects people all around us without us realizing it. Peter wasn’t trying to mislead the disciples down the wrong trail, but he was expressing some selfish ambition. From what we have seen about the other disciples we looked at; Philip (the problem spotter) probably said, “yea that is a problem we did give up everything.” Andrew (being the problem solver and introducer) could have been thinking “I’m sure God will take care of everything.”
In this account we see Salome, momma of James and John speaking to Jesus; James and John are probably standing behind or beside their momma. Here is a picture of a soccer mom that wants her children in the spotlight. It is very possible that the mother of James and John was the sister of Mary the mother of Jesus. Henceforth that would make their mother the aunt of Jesus which could provide more insight to the request. In Matt 19:28 Jesus already promised the disciples (the ones that followed him which excludes Judas) were going to sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. But we can’t be too hard on Salome because she was truly asking like a momma who loved her children and wanted a better life for them. Salome asked nothing of herself but truly had the best interests of her children in mind. She had the right aspirations but the question filled with ambition for her sons was misguided. Since Jesus replied to James and John, He probably saw right through who was in reality asking the short circuited question.
In Blacksburg Virginia a few years ago, sheriff’s deputies, were responding to a series of 911 calls from a home, upon arrival the deputies discovered they had been summoned by an overripe tomato in a hanging basket that had been dripping juice onto a telephone answering machine below. The police concluded that the juice from the tomato shorted out the machine’s dialing system, causing it to call the Sheriff’s Department emergency line. “I didn’t know the answering machine could even dial out,” said homeowner Linda Hurst. “It’s supposed to take messages.”
How many of the emergency, SOS signals we send up to God are really shorts caused by spiritual circuits that are dripped on by overripe ambitions and aspirations. Let look at the difference between ambition and aspiration.
Ambition Verses Aspiration
am•bi•tion \am-ˈbi-shən\ noun
1 a : an ardent desire for rank, fame, or power
b : desire to achieve a particular end
The term for ambition by itself would lead someone to think that being ambitious would be wrong because it can be centered on self or on a cause. Momma was ambitious for her children, but notice momma didn’t ask anything for herself. This is a typical Jesus momma, always thinking of her children and not herself. There are mommas all over the world that would be willing to give their lives if their children would come to know Jesus as their savior. The power of a praying momma can accomplish much. However, the one thing a momma can’t do for her children is obtain eternal life for them or add jewels to their heavenly crown. To have a relationship with Christ, that is a decision only a person can make for themselves, no one else can do it for them. The same can be said for service to the King, it has to come from each individual with the right heart. Can you see Salome pointing to her two sons and asking if they can have the left and right chair next to Jesus when He comes into His kingdom?
Talk about the ultimate mommas boys, these two fellas are probably kneeling behind momma, quite possibly they are the ones that put her up to it. Momma accepted the fact Jesus was to be killed and will rise on the third day but it is most probable the seats of authority she was speaking of was the expectation Jesus would set up his kingdom on earth after the third day and start ruling from Jerusalem. Momma wanted her boys (and they wanted it also Mark 10:37) to have the seats of honor. We must always be careful what we ask for because we might get it.
Roping cattle have learned the first one in the chute is the first one that gets roped so they are always hesitant about being the first. Roping cattle just want to stay in the pen, eat their grass and mind their own business. However, once they understand they are going to the roping chute no matter if they want to or not, then they get ambitious about being the first one to get it over with. Momma was not asking for her sons to be the first ones in but to be the greatest ones of all the disciples. That is good ambition with misplaced aspiration.
as•pi•ra•tion \ˌas-pə-ˈrā-shən\ noun
(14th century)
1 a : audible breath that accompanies or comprises a speech sound
b : the pronunciation or addition of an aspiration; also : the symbol of an aspiration
2 : a drawing of something in, out, up, or through by or as if by suction: as
a : the act of breathing and especially of breathing in
b : the withdrawal of fluid or tissue from the body
c : the taking of foreign matter into the lungs with the respiratory current
3 a : a strong desire to achieve something high or great
b : an object of such desire
Notice the meaning of aspiration, drawing something in and taking something out. Salome was inhaling the fact that Jesus was going to die and raise on the third day and (what she believed) establish His earthly kingdom. When she inhaled the truth her own desires mixed with that truth produced a request that appeared very selfish. However perhaps it was the James and John themselves that asked this request. Mark does not mention Salome asking but instead states it was James and John. When you look at the response from the other disciples (Matt 20:24) they were miffed at the James and John not at Salome.
So if we look at James and John they are inhaling all that they have seen and experienced coupled with the teachings of Jesus. There is no doubt that Jesus is king of the universe but ironically the same inner thoughts that wanted fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans (Luke 9:54) are the same thoughts that created the desire to have the left or right seat of honor. Sitting on the right or left of a world leader is a very impressive position. Have you ever seen a news clip of the President of the United States during a cabinet meeting? These meetings are held in the Whitehouse conference room where members of the cabinet are seated around the table in protocol order. Protocol is determined by when the Cabinet Member’s department, agency, or office was established. The President sits at the center of the table, the Vice President, who is next in protocol order, sits directly across from him, the Secretary of State, whose department was established first, sits to the President’s right, and the Secretary of the Treasury, whose department was established next, sits to the President’s left. The person who sits to the right of the President is the one who’s office was established first, then the second established office is the one who sits on the left.
If Jesus followed the same protocol while on earth, he would have Peter sitting on the right since he was the one who Jesus said I give you the keys to church. This is similar to what the Secretary of State does, focusing on foreign affairs. The church is Jesus’ Secretary of State, focusing on the foreign affairs to bring them to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Judas would have been the one sitting on the left of Jesus since he would have been Secretary of the Treasury.
Someone once said “We make our goals, and then our goals make us," that is ambition without aspiration. The statement should read “we make us, then we make our goals.” If a person says they want to be a world champion cowboy they could become a world champion cowboy, but what are you going to do once you get there? If you didn’t establish the reason why you wanted to become a world champion cowboy, then once you get there you will then ask the question “what now?” From the Christian perspective, if a person says “I want to be all I can be to bring Christ glory” and your passion is rodeo , then you are making yourself and then you are making your goals. If you achieved the goal of world champion cowboy when you get there, having the right perspective, you will say “for Him, now what Lord.” Suddenly an amazing thing happens, your Christian life and purpose is now defined and you are able to share your testimony all around the country because now you have a platform from which you tell folks about Jesus. Proverbs 18:1 says a man who isolates himself seeks his own desire. Basically the proverb is saying you are by yourself when you only have goals to impress other people. Once this kind of person achieves those goals they realize they are all alone and they end up asking the question “now what.” James and John should have been asking the question, what can we do to expand Your kingdom, I know the seats in heaven will take care of themselves because God is a just God and He will give us our proper reward, that is “making us, then we make our goals.”
Keeping it in the family
Notice Matthew referred to Salome as “the mother of the sons of Zebedee.” Matthew is showing us that her request was not coming from an earthly kinship. Salome was quite possibly Jesus’ aunt, the mother of Mary (see John 19:25 and Mark 15:40). Whether Salome was the aunt of Jesus she was asking her request because she recognized Him as the earthly Messiah…the one who would restore the nation of Israel back to power and God would set up His rule from Jerusalem. Having a Christian heritage in your family does not automatically make you a Christ follower or a Christian. Each person has a specific calling on their life and having a Christian heritage makes it easier to discern that call.
The Kingdom
What kind of kingdom was James and John asking to have authority over, the one in heaven or earth. The answer can be found in Mathew 19:28; So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” The key word to define this kingdom is the regeneration. The original Greek word for regeneration (paliggenesis) is made up of two words; renew and genesis. The kingdom will be a renewal of the first chapters of the book of Genesis. When we accept Christ as our master our hearts are not regenerated back to the state it was in when we were a baby. We are given a new heart henceforth we are a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17).
One day according to Acts 1:9 after Jesus ascended up into heaven an angel said to the disciples “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” Revelation 1:7 says “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him.” One day Jesus is going to physically come again and those who have not given their life to him will be cast into hell and the restoration of earth will take place and the lion will lie with the lamb. Earth will no longer have wars and the devil will be bound up not allowed to torment people any longer. Their will no longer be sin in the world because Jesus himself will rule from Jerusalem. This is the exact same kind of kingdom the Jews were expecting during the time of Jesus, they didn’t understand the messiah was going to come to die to pay for man’s sins, be dead for three days, rise from the dead and ascend into heaven then come back again. This is the same hope that Christians carry today, however the penalty for our sins has been paid, so now when Jesus comes He will rule the earth and we who have given our lives to Him will rule with Him. The disciples will be the twelve rulers, I believe the Apostle Paul will probably be the twelfth ruler, however that is just personal opinion, if not Paul it will be Matthias Acts 1:23-26.
When Jesus returns it really wont matter what you believe or how you believe it, if you have not received Jesus as your savior before that time, when the time comes it will be too late. This is not a buffet line where you have all these options to take it or leave it or just accept the parts you like. The gospel is like a complete meal and you must eat everything and not pick only the parts that you determine are good. How do you know Jesus is not coming back today, tonight or tomorrow? The fact that He is coming back is a fact as plain as the nose on my face the only thing that is not a fact is are you ready? Will you reign with Jesus on earth or will you be separated from Him in hell?
Be Careful What You Ask
22 But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”
They said to Him, “We are able.” 23 So He said to them, “You will indeed drink 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 is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”
Jesus was telling James and John their question was self seeking and Jesus’ response was actually telling them that they were wrong in their thinking for making such a request (you do not know what you ask). The cup that Jesus is referring to is a specific cup of suffering, the cup He refers to in Matthew 26:39 in Gethsemane (the night of His arrest) “Oh my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me, nevertheless, not as I will but as You will.” What a difference, James and John are asking for “the cup”, Jesus asks for “the cup” to be removed. What does a cup do? A cup holds liquid, the liquid that will be filled with “the cup” is Jesus’ blood. Jesus will “take this cup” and through “that cup” we will have total forgiveness of sins.
In the Hebrew mindset, the idea of “the cup” was usually the wrath of God being poured out on someone. Only Jesus will experience the wrath of God as Jesus takes the punishment for our wrong doings against God on the cross. This is why Jesus cries out on the cross “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” The word forsaken means to leave behind at a fixed place; to go on without the other person. A good word picture is when a roper comes out of the roping box and the steer comes out of the chute, both roper in steer go down the arena but suddenly the steer stops and the roper continues going to the end of the arena; the roper has forsaken the steer. For the first time in eternity, Jesus was without His Father on the Cross, because God can not look upon sin and our sins were heaped upon Jesus on the cross. God had to move away from His son and turn His back upon the sin of the world. Because of the price Jesus paid for our sins we will never know what it is like to have God abandon us, once we give our lives to Christ. The cup that James and John will drink will be “the cup” of a lifetime of service to God. They will not experience the exact cup of Jesus because only Jesus could die for the world’s sins, but they will experience “the cup” of suffering and James will experience “the cup” of martyrdom.
The word baptize means total immersion, similar to the baptisms you might find at church after a person accepts Christ. Total immersion means a person is totally consumed with something. The immersion that Jesus is referring to is His suffering waiting for Him in Jerusalem. Jesus will be total immersed with every cell in His body with absolute complete suffering. James and John will definitely drink the cup and share the baptism Jesus is going through, James will be the first disciple killed for his faith by King Herod Agrippa, the grandson of Herod the Great, (the Herod that tried to kill the baby Jesus) found in Acts 12:1-2. John will live a long life of persecution, banishment and distress.
John will live to be an old age and die on the island of Patmos. Legend tells us that John was placed in a boiling pot of oil and did not die; afterwards he was banished to the island of Patmos. Patmos is a small island about ten miles long and six miles wide at its broadest point and is also the place that John wrote the book of Revelation. An interesting fact concerning James and John; James is the first disciple to die and John is the last to die. Both men lived lives of courage and boldness for Christ and was willing to commit their entire lives to serving Christ.
Jesus said the seats are not His to give however according to Revelation 22:12 “My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to His work.” Jesus will be the one giving out the rewards but He will be acting on the Father’s will not on His own. Jesus may have not yet known who was going to sit on His right or left. This statement is very similar to the statement Jesus made in Mark 13:32 concerning the end times of the world as we know it “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
Jesus submitted all things to the Father, this is something we should model, instead of always thinking about what we want to do, lets spend some time with God deciding what He wants us to do with our lives. True peace only comes when we submit to God and say “God all that I know is that I am here today, what would you have me do today?” Jesus said “whatever you ask in My name will be given” but then there is one additional requirement for your request to be given it must be God’s will for your life. James 4:3 says we ask and do not receive because we ask wrong, we ask for things to spend on our own pleasures. Jesus told James and John they are not asking with right motives but on the motive of their own pleasure. What motivates you to live for Christ? Are you looking for an instant lottery ticket or are you also willing to drink the cup and be baptized with servanthood and even suffering, to boldly serve Christ?
Unity
24 And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. 25
The disciples were looking at James and John with disgust, they were not just displeased but greatly displeased. The root word of displeased means a bent arm or the folding of the arms. When a person is disgusted the usual body language involves the folding of the arms over the chest. The disciples were probably standing there with their arms folded, there were probably some words added which Matthew did not choose to add to his text. There is nothing that breaks a peaceful fellowship in any organization like selfish ambition. Have you ever worked with someone who always thought about themselves climbing their way to the top? The Bible speaks many times of how wrong selfish ambition is and the consequences it can cause.
Judas had selfish ambition and it led to him betraying Jesus, James and John had selfish ambition and caused the rest of the disciples to be upset with them. Philippians 2:3: Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. This is the golden rule, love your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27). Whenever there is a dispute in an organization I can guarantee there will always be found selfish ambition, not considering others better than ourselves. Children’s sports teams are famous for these types of disputes. There is usually a parent on the team that sees only how good their child is and does not notice the talent of the other kids. This parent will usually blame the coach when the play is not made thinking to themselves “if they would have put my kid at that position the play would have been made.” However, it is through disagreements we can learn to tolerate each other and as Christians focus on elevating others above ourselves. The root of selfish ambition is pride, the exalting of self. Everyone wants their fifteen minutes of fame.
Pop Artist Andy Warhol once said that in the age of television, every person would have 15 minutes of fame. Commenting on that thought in Our Daily Bread, David Roper says that though we may be given a brief moment of fame, we should not seek it.
David observes how selfish ambition often manifests itself in a passion for the "best seats," or in a quest for personal recognition. Unbridled ambition can cause us to dominate social situations, and insist on telling our story instead of listening to the concerns of others. Ambition makes us want to be noticed, prominent, and in the limelight, instead of sitting on the sidelines of life.
David suggests that each of us cope with the desire for fame and ambition by learning God’s way of living, from Jesus. He says, God’s way is the opposite of selfish ambition. Living God’s way allows us to be content when others are elevated above us, to rejoice when someone is preferred over us, and to give other people credit instead of claiming it for ourselves. David says, "We begin to learn God’s way from Jesus. He was gentle and lowly in heart (Matthew 11:29 ) and didn’t try to protect His own dignity or position."
When we follow Jesus’ example for dealing with ambition, others will be more likely to see Jesus when our fifteen minutes of fame arrives .
We learned from the feeding of the 5000 how Jesus had the disciples put the magnitude of people in groups of fifty. God is always a God of order, one will never find disharmony when God is involved. For example in 1 Kings 19:11-13 when God shows Elijah a strong wind, an earthquake and a great fire but the Bible says God was not in any of those but then a small voice came that was the voice of God. James 3:16 says “ For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Notice in verse seventeen when we are willing to yield, then we possess the wisdom that is from above.
We all have a tendency to believe sometimes that we are the light of the world, and no one could be more right in their thinking and opinions than ourselves. This is what causes disagreements especially concerning things in the Bible. Paul tells Timothy to stay away from people who are obsessed with disputes and arguments over words (1 Timothy 6:3-5). Paul says these people operate out of envy and strife and they are men of corrupt minds that suppose godliness is a means of gain. Godliness is not a means of gain but a means of loss to have gain. We must always be in the mindset that others might have some good ideas and thoughts in whatever area they are addressing. This is putting others before ourselves, and considering others to be higher than ourselves. Many times, especially if you are just starting this journey, means we will have to swallow hard to keep our mouth shut and our ears open. Jesus prayed in the garden during the night of his arrest that the disciples would be one just as Jesus and the Father are one, and that they would be one in Christ (John 17:21). If you are currently in a dispute with someone over who’s opinion is right and who is wrong, let it go and let God bring the two of you back together in unity.
Looking at Others
But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.
Jesus’ desire was for the disciples to be unified, and He understood where James and John got the idea about having the place of honor. Jesus told them they didn’t know what they were asking because they were looking at the worlds system of power and not God’s system of power. During the time Jesus was physically on the earth the Romans were big on authority and titles, similar to how it is today. Have you ever noticed all the vice presidents that are out there in the workplace today? The Romans (gentiles) used authority harshly and severely as we have seen with the treatment of Jesus during his crucifixion. The Jewish leaders didn’t like the idea they could not have authority over Jesus and His disciples. Whenever we look at others instead of focusing on what God has us to do it always ends up in bad circumstances.
Greatness is serving and The First will be Last
26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
Jesus is telling His disciples that the key to greatness in God’s kingdom is not positions of authority but positions of servanthood. A picture of servanthood by Jesus is when he washed the disciples feet in John 13:5. Peter wasn’t willing to have God almighty wash his feet because Peter felt it was too low a task for Jesus to be washing his feet. Jesus told him if “I don’t wash your feet, you have no part with me.” How often do we try to step on peoples toes rather than being humble and be willing to wash their feet. We always think about other relationships but it has to start with the people closest to us. Why don’t we apply these commands to our marriages? Servanthood needs to start at the home with our spouses then move beyond the house to the church. The world would be changed if the Christian church was willing to be like Christ and be more of a servant rather than trying to always be a self appointed authority to try and rule over people.
The disciples were amazed when the rich man couldn’t get to heaven in Matt 19:22. The Jews believed that wealth was a sign that indicated you had the blessings of God on your life. When the disciples saw that the wealthy man Jesus was speaking to couldn’t enter the kingdom of God, they then asked in Matt 19:25 “who than can be saved?” In this passage Jesus is telling the disciples, don’t look at the world system but look at God’s great reversal, the first will be last the least will be the greatest. James 4:6 says God resists the proud, but give grace to the humble. The word for resist in English is a mild word; we tend to think of a football team’s offense resisting the defense by blocking or a roping steer resisting being roped by ducking his head. The original word in the Greek actually means “to range in battle against.” How would you like to be in a battle against God? If you are relying on your own accomplishments to define who you are then you are setting yourself up for a huge fall because God is against you. However, if you have accepted Christ as the master of your life, God will give you grace in whatever situation you are facing.
The Jews of Jesus’ day was not looking for a suffering servant but a reigning king to destroy the Romans and set up His earthly kingdom. Religion had gotten so far from servanthood the religious people couldn’t recognize it when It came in the flesh. The ultimate act of servanthood was when Jesus gave His life a ransom for many. What does ransom mean? We think about a ransom note when someone gets kidnapped and the kidnapper leaves a note stating the family can have this person back when a large sum of money is given in return. God doesn’t negotiate with the greatest kidnapper who ever was; the devil. The devil does not have the power to hold a person until God makes a payment to get them back. The ransom is just the opposite, the ransom Jesus was speaking of was the price required to buy a slave back.
From the time we are born we are going to be slaves to one of two things; we will either be a slave to sin or a slave to God. Before we accept Christ we are a slave to sin, we are chained to sin and we continually serve sin. John 8:34 Jesus says “whoever commits a sin is a slave of sin.” Romans 6:17-18 says we were slaves to sin, but we accepted Christ as our savior and now we are free from sin, and became slaves to righteousness (right standing with God). Romans 6:22 says we have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God. Living in America we do not like to consider ourselves as any kind of slave. The reality of the matter is we are to be slaves to God and serve Him only. Their was only one person who could have paid the price for our slavery to sin and that was the Man who was perfect since He was born and that was Jesus; give your life to Him and serve Him as a good slave.
Conclusion
It’s tremendous to be learning that no matter how big you see things or how simple you keep them you’ll never reach the ultimate perfect status in life. No man has ever seen things as big as they could have been or kept them as simple as they might be. Sometimes we do well in one area at the expense of the other—like the little boy on the corner with his flop-eared pup.
A salesman passed a corner every morning on his way to work, and after a week he began to pity the boy who was striving to sell his puppy. The salesman knew the boy didn’t See It Big. He stopped and said, "Son, do you really want to sell this dog?"
The boy replied, "I certainly do."
"Well you’re never going to sell him until you learn to See It Big. What I mean is, take this dog home, clean him up, doll him up, raise your price, make people think they’re getting something big, and you’ll sell him."
That noon the salesman came by and there was the boy with a puppy that was groomed, perfumed, and had a ribbon around his neck alongside a big sign: TREEMENNDOUS Puppy For Sale—$5,000.
The salesman gulped and realized he had forgotten to tell the boy about Keeping It Simple. That evening he stopped by to tell the boy the other half of the formula, only to discover that the boy was gone, the puppy was gone and the sign lay there with "SOLD" written across it in big letters.
The salesman couldn’t believe it. This kid couldn’t have sold the dog for $5,000. His curiosity got the best of him and he rang the boy’s doorbell. The boy came to the door and the salesman blurted, "Son you didn’t really sell that dog for $5,000 now, did you?"
The boy replied, "Yes, sir, I did and I want to thank you for all your help."
The salesman said, "How in the world did you do it?"
The boy replied, "Oh, it was easy. I just took two $2,500 cats in exchange!"
We can agree that selfish ambition and self centeredness is wrong and but we typically replace those too bad cats with a do-nothing-faith and an over-eager faith. A do nothing faith is simply giving up and saying “God will just take care of it and nothing is required from me.” That is where the rub comes in, we can do nothing on our own but God working through us; however we still have to get off our pockets and serve. Whenever we serve, if we keep our desires in check, we can start to learn the difference between ambition and aspiration. A test of knowing the difference between the two is our attitude toward the success of others. James and John didn’t grasp the idea of servanthood until they actually started serving, then they gave their lives for the opportunity to serve Christ with a burden for each person to come to know Christ as their master. Don’t be like the over aggressive parent who wants their kid to be the star, teach your children (and yourself) those who want to be first in God’s eyes must become the greatest servant.
The Death of James
Acts 12:2 the informer who accused James was so struck with his constancy in confessing Christ before the judge, that he came forward and confessed himself a Christian too. The two were then led off to execution together; and on the way the informer asked James’s forgiveness. After a moment’s hesitation, James said to him, “Peace be unto thee,” and kissed him. They were then both beheaded
