Text: Matthew 20:20-24
To bring this text before you today in the manner in which I am commissioned will not be an easy task. In fact, the subject matter in this message will perhaps be different from most messages on this text. A few of the message titles I came across for this text were "A Mother’s Love," "What A Mom," and "A Mother’s Dream." That even more so challenged me with the content of this message.
I want to use this passage and talk to you about "The Danger Of Doing The Right Thing For The Wrong Reason." It seems odd, even unreasonable, but there is the hint in the text that gives implication that it was, and is, a reality.
Elsewhere in Scripture, the Bible gives evidence that her name was Salome. She was Zebedee’s wife, and the mother of two of the disciples - James and John, known to some as "The Sons Of Thunder."
I do not intend on portraying her as an extremely sinful woman, but I seek to show you that her intentions and methods were not what they should have been. And then we will seek to learn from her life, and adjust our own lives to implement and maintain God-pleasing characteristics.
To deal with this subject we will have to move beyond the sphere of actions, and delve into the arena of MOTIVES. There are things in this text that I think can help us in the area of motives, which is not dis-cussing what we’re doing, but rather why we’re doing it.
Let me give you a definition of the word motive - The sense of need, desire, fear, etc. that prompts an individual to act or begin movement. Now, there is nothing wrong with motives, when they are properly aligned. Every action we participate in is fueled by motives. But when motives become misaligned, there are major problems that can occur.
And when there comes an intertwining of good actions with wrong motives, we call that having an ulterior motive. That is, the reason behind your good action is not pure. It is not what it appears to be. And I see this in the text before us today. The name Salome means clothing or clothed. And clothing, like motives, can be good or bad. It is used to protect and shield, providing a covering for the wearer.
But clothing is also used to conceal, to hide. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 7:15, as He issued a warning to be on the lookout for wolves in sheep’s clothing. Simply put, they are not what they appear to be. their true identity is concealed, so they might sway the circumstances in a favorable position.
And Salome’s name meaning clothing, looked at in the concealing sense, is interesting when you look at the events taking place in this text. Look at what the text says. "Then came the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, WORSHIPPING him, AND desiring a certain thing of him."
Now you must know why we are to worship God. It all boils down to the fact that He is worthy, and we are to do it for no other reason. We should worship God for Who He is! You might praise Him for what He’s done, but we worship Him for who He is!
And though she came worshipping, the text seems to suggest that worship was not her pure motive. It says that they came, "worshipping, AND...." And that "and" was enough to mess the whole act up. We are told that she came with something else on her mind, on her heart, something she wanted Jesus to do.
In other words, her worship wasn’t birthed out of a pure motive, but because she wanted something out of it. *They no doubt knew the importance of worship, and the fact that things do begin to happen when we worship God. So she, along with her sons, comes to Jesus with a plan, a scheme, with an ulterior motive.
And that brings up an interesting point, that is very much a part of ulterior motives, and that is the word MANIPULATION. That is always at the root of any actions produced by ulterior motives. Husbands do it, wives do it, and children do it. They seek to secretively sway the circumstances in a position that will be favorable for them.
And that’s what we see in the text. But how many know that God looks at the heart? He doesn’t look at the clothing, but He sees beyond the facade, and into your motives!
*And you better get this: Worship does move God, but it does not manipulate God! Yet, you would be shocked to know how many people involve themselves in Spiritual activities for the wrong reasons. Take for instance this "Word of Faith" teaching, which promotes high levels of prosperity and increase. When you boil it all down, they are teaching people to give just to get back. The Bible says to be a cheerful GIVER, but they are giving in anticipation of being a cheerful RECEIVER! The motive is wrong!
And so here, we see a woman with her sons, coming in what should be a sacred act of worship, but they come with a plan, a scheme, another desire. They’re not coming because they want to give honor to Jesus. They’re coming to get something from Jesus! *And there are many people today who come to the Lord for the wrong reason!
*Listen: That’s one reason why some people don’t last. Because they came to the Lord "with an understanding" that God would do what they want Him to do. And when that didn’t happen, they quit! You see, when people do something for the wrong reason, they won’t do it for long! (They’ll still want the allowance, but they won’t make the bed.)
And so this woman came with her sons. And if I had time, I would preach on, "Why ya gotcha Mama talkin’ for you anyway?" She comes, and worships, but Matthew records that she wanted something. And it doesn’t appear to be too far into her worship, before Jesus interrupted and said, "What do you want?"
Now, knowing that He wasn’t ignorant of her intentions, I see this as a question asked in disgust or displeasure. I see Jesus disheartened, because the motive wasn’t right. She was doing the right thing, but for the wrong reason. I can hear Him say, "What do you want when you act like that?" Because that’s what it was - it was an act!
But when Jesus called her to identify her motive, what gets me is, she didn’t even stutter! And she didn’t say, "O, I just want to worship you, Lord." She just looked right at Him and said, "I want you to grant that my two sons may sit on your right hand, and left hand in your kingdom." She used worship as a decoy, to conceal or clothe her true intention.
She came scheming, saying, "You like worship? Okay, I will give you worship. And in return, hook my boys up!" And Jesus told her, "You don’t even know what you’re talking about!" I can hear Him talking today, saying, "You might as well get up."
And one of the things she wanted was to bypass the process involved in attaining the next level. People do it all the time. "I’ll go to church, and God can get me a job." "I’ll pay my tithes, and God can get me out of debt." But worship, or any other spiritual act, is not a shortcut for processes. You can’t worship your way out of debt, you’ve got to work your way out! And if you’re coming to God with a scheme, with a plan, or with an ulterior motive, you are walking on dangerous ground!
There is a verse of scripture concerning Jacob’s life that has always bothered me. It’s found in Genesis 28:20. He has just seen the ladder, with the angels ascending and descending on it, and awoke and said,
"Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not." And then, in v. 20, it says, "And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, IF (already putting stipulations on God) God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go (support me in my plans and agenda), and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on, (meet all my needs and desires), So that I come again to my father’s house in peace (get me where I want to go); THEN shall the Lord be my God."
Only if their conditions are met, will many people serve God wholeheartedly! And I had to wonder about this woman. What would cause her to do such a thing? Look at Matthew 4:21-22 - Basically, when Jesus called James and John, He had messed up the family business. Who knows what kind of hardship this brought to the family?
Many people want to lay out stipulations to God, based on what they have given up to serve Him. They want Him to know what they walked away from to be with Him. *But no one has given up as much to get with God, as God has given up to get with you! he gave His Son - heaven’s absolute best!
What’s the danger? You put at risk the very thing you want God to do, plus everything else He could do on your behalf. If you’ve been bargaining, scheming, coming to God to see what He can do for you, you may need "A Lesson In Motives."
