Tag: place of honor
Are You able?
Scripture reading for July 26th: Matthew 20
Key Scriptures: Matthew 20:17-22 “And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way He said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and He will be raised on the third day.” Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before Him she asked him for something. And He said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in Your kingdom.” Jesus answered, “You do not know what your are asking. Are you able to drink the cup I am to drink?” They said to Him, “We are able.””
Jesus was leading His disciples to Jerusalem for His final Passover with them. While on the way, He again took them aside and carefully explained in even more detail His coming betrayal, trial, flogging, and death by crucifixion to be followed in three days by resurrection. It is not clear if the mother of James and John overheard this conversation, but clearly she suspected the coming kingdom of heaven and asked Jesus a favor for her boys. She asked for positions of honor in the kingdom. Jesus did not deny this request, but stated that she did not know what she was asking! There would be a cost involved, the drinking of a cup! What was in this cup required God’s grace and empowerment. They replied, “We are able!” Jesus stated that they would indeed drink His cup but the honor of seating belonged to the ones chosen by His Father alone. Their boldness was not condemned by Jesus, but it aggravated the other disciples. Jesus admonished them all to not seek greatness but to become slaves to God, chief servants.
Matthew 20:23 “He said to them, “You will drink My cup, but to sit at My right hand and at My left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.””
Faith confession and prayer: Father, all reward and glory belongs to You alone! I am blessed to be Your son and a servant of others for Jesus’ sake. Give me grace to drink Your cup and enjoy the fellowship of Your sufferings with a grateful heart. Being with You for eternity is my most amazing gift!
Matthew 20:26-28 “It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.””
Rejoicing in the Man at God’s Right Hand!
Scripture reading for October 25th: Mark 12-16
Key Scriptures: Mark 16:19-20 “After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and He sat a the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His word by the signs that accompanied it.”
The Lord Jesus gave final instructions to His disciples about their mission and His presence with them to accomplish the assigned work. They were to go into all the world and preach the Gospel and signs would accompany them. All who believed would be saved and those who refused to believe would be condemned! It was as simple as that. After these instructions, Jesus Christ was taken up to heaven and seated at God’s right hand, the position of highest honor! The disciples would offer God’s enemies a chance to become children!
Rejoicing in Jesus Christ: “The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” The Lord will extend your might scepter from Zion; You will rule in the midst of your enemies.” (Psalm 110:1-2)
Can You Drink the Cup?
Scripture reading for January 28th: Matthew 20, Psalm 18:43-50, Proverbs 5:7-14
Jesus spoke plainly to His disciples about His coming death by crucifixion. He did not want them to be unprepared for the fiery trial that He would go through and that they would experience themselves. “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priest and the teachers of the law. They will condemn Him to death and will turn Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day He will be raised to life!” (Matthew 20:18-19) Jesus did not head for Jerusalem unaware of what awaited Him. It was a cup of suffering and a horrible death by crucifixion.
After this revelation to His disciples, the mother of James and John came to Jesus and knelt down to ask a favor of Him. “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” (Matthew 20:21–22) What this mother thought was a favor would involve a cup of suffering beyond what anyone could imagine!
The brothers answered in the affirmative! They could drink the cup, whatever that was. This was their own human estimate of their strength. Jesus assured them that they would drink from His cup, but that the places that they desired were not His to grant, but that honor was for those that the Father prepared it for. (Matthew 20:22-23) This jostling for position caused jealousy among the disciples; Jesus called them together and warned them not to jostle for position. The way to become great was not by lording it over one another, but by becoming the greatest servant. He, Himself, had set them the example and they should follow Him!
As we ponder this passage, Jesus’ question, “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” stands out to me. I am thankful that He drank the cup of God’s wrath for my sin! I don’t have to drink that cup! But I am called to be His servant and that will involve suffering and carrying a cross! I must die to myself and live fully for Him. Will I drink from that cup?