Servant Leadership Series

Matthew 20:17-28 & Luke 18:31-34

[Intro]

(1) Review: The Rich young man and the laborers in the vineyard / 11th hour workers.

(2) Jesus / disciples are journeying closer to Jerusalem where Jesus will be betrayed and given over to the chief priests and he will be crucified. The disciples most likely knew they were going towards Jerusalem due to the Passover being close.

(3) He was trying to prepare the disciples for his demise, but all they could think about was their desire to set up Jesus’ earthly / political kingdom. Luke sheds some light on the matter declaring that “they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken (18:34).” One can’t help but wonder if they were just writing off what Jesus said as just another one of his mysterious sayings that we might as well just leave alone for another time (such as a parable). Jesus made several interesting points:

a. Betrayed: I will be betrayed (indicated one of his own would do this).

b. Condemned: The chief priests and scribes will condemn me to death (something they are unable to do)

c. Delivered: Hand me over to the Gentiles (who can carry out the death sentence)

d. Raised: He will be raised (declaring his return from death).

(4) Perhaps it is this very shock factor that the authors of Matthew and Mark were intentionally trying to evoke by placing these two matters side by side. You have the Lord on one side as a suffering servant and humble lamb of God pitted against a conniving bunch of power-hungry savages on the other. How far indeed was the chasm between them?

[The Request]

(1) The mother of James and John requests that both of her sons are granted the opportunity to sit at Jesus’ right and left hand in his kingdom. This signified that she was requesting positions of influence and power for her sons.

Are you able to drink from the cup I am to drink?

(1) Jesus assures James, John and their mother that they will drink his cup but that won’t give them immediate access to sitting at his right / left.

(2) We all have parts to play in the story of God. Some of us play bigger roles than others.

(3) Jesus’ cup of suffering is not the same as our cup of suffering; there’s similarities and differences. James was the 1st martyred apostle of Jesus; John was not martyred. Both James and John did experience and endure suffering like Christ endured.

(4) Positions in life are given by God. Jesus isn’t the one who gives out the assigned seating arrangements in his Kingdom, the Father does that. This is submission from Jesus to his father. “He comes to do not his own will, but the will of him that sent him, and so he correctly says of rank in his kingdom, It is not mine to give. How thoroughly did our Lord take a lowly place for our sakes! In this laying aside of authority, he gives a silent rebuke to our self-seeking.” (Spurgeon)

“They were displeased/indignant at the two brothers.”

(1) Often, we play the comparison game with others and it does no good.

(2) We need not to be people to are proud and who compare.

(3) Our joy should be found in that we are given the opportunity to serve Jesus as King and that we are given the opportunity to be part of his kingdom.

[The Commandment]

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them…”

(1) When it comes to positions of power and influence, we often allow that to change the way we are.

“It shall not be so among you…”

(1) The people of God are marked by humility; not power.

(2) This is Jesus’ call to not conform to the behaviors of the worldly standards.

(3) Presidential Elections: The one who shows humility gets my vote. People have found that politics gets you a “better life” but the whole point of being in politics is to serve the community and that is not the way it is! Politics is about gaining and maintaining influence and power until you reach the top.

“Whoever would be great among you, must be your servant; whoever would be first must be the last.”

(1) Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth. In the kingdom of God, we are given authority over lands when we show meekness, not power.

(2) The command of our Lord on this matter is clear: “The greatest among you: let him be as the younger, and the one who rules like the one who serves (Luke 22:26).” And: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave (Matthew 20:26-27).” Notice the Hebrew parallelism there (a poetic device). “Great” is paralleled with “first.” And “servant” is paralleled with “slave.” With that in mind there is no way to avoid what Jesus is saying any longer. We are to be the slave of Christ and the slave of one another to please God.