Reading: Matthew Chapter 20 verses 27-28.
• If there is one word in the English language that is sure to cause a debate when spoken,
• That word is “greatest.”
• In fact, take two people, any people,
• And you can always stir-up trouble by using this simple word.
Ill:
• Ask a Southampton fan and a Portsmouth fan who’s the greatest football club,
• And watch the sparks fly.
• Ask two mechanics what is the greatest car ever made;
• And they will eagerly debate their opinion.
• Ask two people who the greatest prime minister or the greatest politician was,
• And they’ll chase that rabbit as long as they have breath to do so.
• Ask two Christians which is the greatest Bible translation.
• Or which is the greatest hymn book, or hymn?
• There is something about that word “greatest” that stirs something inside of us.
• Question: Why?
• Answer:
• Because greatness is something we aspire to, greatness is something we care about.
(1). Context:
(1). A Parable (verses 1-16).
• Which illustrates his own words in chapter 19 verse 30:
• “Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first”.
• The parable teaches that God’s ways and human ways are often not the same,
• The parable illustrated God’s generosity, not his unfairness.
• The parable again ended with the punch-line in chapter 20 verse 16:
• “So the last will be first, and the first will be last”.
(2). An announcement (verses 17-19).
• For the third time, Jesus has announced to his disciples:
• That he will be arrested, crucified, and also his resurrection (see 16:21; 17:22).
• In the two previous announcements,
• He had not specified how He would die. But now He clearly mentioned the cross.
• And he also clearly mentioned His resurrection,
• But the message did not penetrate the disciples’ hearts, they were so slow to understand!
Quote: Luke in his gospel tells us (chapter 18 verses 34):
“The disciples were thoroughly bewildered, not being able to digest the words spoken by Jesus”.
• They knew that something was weighing heavy on his heart and mind.
• But they were unaware of what that something was.
So to help them understand:
• Jesus took the 12 aside from the others disciples who were also following him:
• And he simply explained to them the events that were going to happen.
In doing so, Jesus pointed out the extent of his sufferings:
• These sufferings would affect every area of his person;
• Look at the description he gives:
(1).
• “He would be betrayed” (verse 18).
• That statement reveals the suffering of a heart broken by the disloyalty of friends.
(2).
• He was to be “condemned to death” (verse 18).
• There we see the suffering of injustice, which is extremely difficult to bear.
(3).
• He was to be “Mocked” by the Romans (verse 19).
• There we see the suffering of humiliation and deliberate insult.
(4).
• He was to be “Flogged & crucified” (verse 19).
• There we see the suffering of physical pain.
In a few days time:
• Jesus was going to take upon himself; every possible kind of;
• Physical and emotional and mental suffering that the world could inflict.
Now In contrast to this announcement of suffering and death;
• We have the request of James and John and their mother,
• Incredible to think that while Jesus spoke about a cross,
• They were interested in a crown.
• As Jesus talked about pain and humiliation, they were dreaming of glory and honour.
Question:
• Had they not just listened to the parable of the workers in the vineyard;
• Where the punch-line in verse 16 clearly said: “The first will be last”?
Answer:
• The answer is yes!
• But like us these disciples are only human.
• And like us I guess they picked and chose the bits they liked and felt appropriate,
• And conveniently forgot or filed away the difficult bits.
Now:
• Before we criticize what they did,
• Let’s notice some commendable features in this event.
(A). The Zebedees
(1). They were possibly related to Jesus.
Most scholars believe the mother of James and John was named Salome:
• A bit of detection work on the Bible passages around the cross.
• Would seem to infer that this was her name.
Ill:
• If you compare Matthew chapter 27 verse 56,
• With Mark chapter 15 verse 40 and John chapter 19 verse 25.
• You come up with a list of women who were at the cross of Jesus.
• When you put the list together:
• One person is always present but described differently each time;
• Matthew calls her: “The mother of Zebedee’s sons”
• Mark refers to he as: “ Salome”.
• And John described her as “Jesus’ Mother’s Sister”.
Those references would suggest that the mother of James & John was:
• Called Salome and was a sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
• If this is true then James and John were cousins of Jesus on their mother’s side.
• It may well have been that they felt that this special relationship,
• Entitled them to a special place in his Kingdom.
• And that might in part explain their actions,
• Why they would make this incredible request.
Ill:
• It was customary at the time of Jesus,
• And it still happens today in many third world countries.
• That you exploit such contacts, you look after the family,
• Relationships were considered more important than qualifications or suitability!
The mother of James and John was a typical mother:
• She wanted the best for her boys
• She had watched proudly as her two sons were among the first followers,
• To be selected by Jesus to become his special disciples.
• And for her here was a natural opportunity, a door she could push open for them.
(2). They had great faith in Jesus (21).
20”Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
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.”
The basis of her/their question:
• May refer back to the teaching of Jesus in chapter 19 verse 28,
• Where Jesus had said to his disciples,
“I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
• It must have taken faith on their part to believe He would establish these thrones,
• Because Jesus had just told them that He was going to die.
• This question came at a moment when the air was heavy;
• With the atmosphere of tragedy and the sense of foreboding.
• Humanly speaking circumstances were daily moving in a negative direction.
• Yet in spite of that this mother and her two sons are thinking of a Kingdom.
(2). They were ignorant (verse 22)..
“You (plural) don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”
“We can,” they answered.
The Zebedee’s may have had great faith:
• But sadly that faith was born in ignorance.
• Jesus replied to their question with the words: “You don’t know what you are asking,”
Ill:
• The word ‘cup’ in the Bible is often used as a metaphor:
• A symbol, a picture for this or that experience.
• It may be a favourable experience;
• e.g. Psalm 23 “My cup runs over”.
• It may be unfavourable
• e.g. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (“May this cup be taken from me”).
• So this expression ‘cup’ was used as a metaphor,
• A symbol, a picture which on this occasion is linked to the death of Jesus.
Not fully understanding what Jesus was saying:
• James and John reply to Jesus by saying;
• “We can pay the price, we can drink the cup, So we should reap the reward”.
• On the positive side:
• They had a belief, a determination to be loyal to their master.
• On the negative side:
• They were full of self-confidence and that self-confidence would fail them badly!
Verse 23:
3Jesus 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.”
Jesus said; you will indeed taste suffering because of me,
• History recalls that James was the first of the disciples to be martyred (Acts chapter 12 verse 2).
• And John in contrast had to endure hard days on the Isle of Patmos (Revelation 1 verse 9)
• One experienced the suffering of death by execution,
• One experienced the daily struggle of exile.
Ill:
A Roman coin was once found with the picture of an ox on it;
• The ox was facing two things - an altar and a plough;
• And the inscription read: “Ready for either.”
• The ox had to be ready either for the supreme moment of sacrifice on the altar,
• Or the long labour of the plough on the farm.
Quote:
“There is no one cup for the Christian to drink.
His cup may be drunk in one great moment, or over a long period of time.
To drink the cup simply means to follow Christ wherever he may lead, and to be like him in any situation life may bring.”
(3). They were carnal thinkers (verse 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”.
• Another problem with the Zebedee’s was their lack of heavenly direction.
• They may have had their heads in the clouds, but they were thinking like the world:
• James and John wanted to “lord it over” the other disciples;
• The way the unsaved Gentile rulers lorded it over their subjects.
• Their request was carnal (it came from their sinful natures not from God),
• Proof of that is they were selfishly asking for glory for themselves, and not for the Lord.
No doubt they felt relieved that they had gotten to Jesus with this request:
• Before Peter and the other disciples did!
• They too were operating on the same human lines of reason.
• That probably explains their reaction in verse 24:
• “They were indignant”, they were resentful and angry and jealous at the Zebedee’s.
(b). The master - Jesus.
This story shows us four things regarding Jesus.
(1). We see his kindness.
• In spite of all he had said to these disciples;
• The amazing thing about Jesus is that he never lost patience and became irritated.
• Here were these men and their mother;
• Still chattering about positions in an earthly government and kingdom.
• But Christ does not explode at their obtuseness, or blaze at their blindness,
• Or despair at their un-teachable-ness.
• In gentleness, in sympathy, and in love, with never an impatient word,
• He seeks to lead them to the truth.
Ill:
Shepherd caring for his sheep.
(b). We see his honesty (22).
• Jesus was quite clear and upfront with his disciples,
• He told them straight that there was a bitter cup to be drunk.
• None of the disciples could ever turn around to Jesus and say;
• That he began to follow Jesus under false pretences.
Ill:
• Double-glazing sales men,
• Read the small print.
• Jesus made it very clear; that even if life ultimately ends in crown-wearing,
• It continues in the present by cross-bearing.
(3). We see his trust in people.
• Jesus never doubted that James and John would maintain their loyalty.
• They had their mistaken ambitions; they had their blindness; they had their wrong ideas;
• But Jesus never thought of writing them off as bad debts.
• And go and choose someone else!
• He believed that they could and would drink the cup,
• And that in the end they would still be found at his side.
One of the great fundamental facts to which we must hold on to as followers of Christ is this:
• Even when we fail, or we hate and loathe and despise ourselves,
• Jesus the master believes in us. Jesus the master is still willing to disciple us!
(4). We see his example (verse 28).
“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
This disagreement gave Jesus the opportunity to teach a practical lesson on leadership.
• In His kingdom,
• We must not follow the examples of the world.
• Our example is always Jesus Christ,
• Not some important politician, or some high flying businessman or wealthy celebrity.
• Jesus came into our world as a servant;
• Therefore, in following him, we should likewise serve one another.
• He came to give His life;
• Therefore, we should give our lives in service to Him and others.
Note:
• The word used in verse 26 is translated as “a servant.”
• We get our English word “deacon” from it.
• But the word used in verse 27 means “a slave.”
• Point is this:
• Not every servant was a slave, but every slave was a servant.
• The only way to up, Jesus teaches, is by going down!
The key to greatness is not found in position or power, but in character.
• The world may assess a person’s greatness by;
• The number of people whom he/she controls and who are at his/her beck and call;
• Or by a persons intellectual standing and their academic eminence;
• Or by the number of committees of which he/she is a member;
• Or by the size of their bank balance;
• And the material possessions which he/she has amassed;
• But in the assessment of Jesus Christ these things are irrelevant.
• His assessment is quite simply - how many people has he helped?
In conclusion:
Verse 28 illustrates for us the perfect servant and the ultimate act of service:
• The perfect servant was the Son of Man’;
• The ultimate act of service was “To give his life as a ransom for many.”
• The best translation according to the commentator Hendrickson should be;
• “In exchange for” or “In place of”.
• This supreme act of humility;
• Was rewarded with the highest act of enthronement!
Ill:
The best commentary on this is Philippians 2:1-18.
5”Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. 6Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. 7He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. 8And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross. 9Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
