| Matthew 20:17-24 ...Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. "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." "You 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. Jesus 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." When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. When we come to God to pray, quite often we don't know what we are asking for, because we are used to to follow the Lord with our own will. That day, the mother of Jacob and John came to the Lord, asking Jesus to make her sons sit beside Jesus, one of the left, and the other on the right, in the kingdom of God. In other words, after Jesus has the kingdom and authority, they will be Jesus' second and third in command. No wonder the other disciples were angry after hearing this.
Where was the mother of John and Jacob wrong? First, she did not understand the kingdom of the Lord. It is not only the kingdom on earth, but also the kingdom in heaven in the future. She was still judging the future with earthly values. What valued in this earthly world are power and glory, as well as the ability to control others. But the value system in God's kingdom is direct opposite of this worldly system: not to control others, but to build others. Not to satisfy ourselves, but to satisfy others. We often serve God following worldly views and morals such that even our prayers are based on our flesh. Not only is our prayer not able to bring up people, it will bring others down. Unless we are renewed by God of our value system, we are unlikely to truly follow the Lord. Just like what the Lord has clearly told them: This path was not what you had thought of. This was a path of suffering and sacrifice. In fact, even you two would suffer for me, so much as to be put to death by others. This path is not what people have thought of - It is a path of sacrifice leading to glory. What kind of attitudes and value system do you have when following God? Do you really understand that this path of God is a path of suffering and sacrifice? If you have yet understand, may God's light shine upon you, so that you will come back to him again, to look at your life and service anew from the point of God. Let us not just satisfy ourselves in our daily lives, but to satisfy the needs of others around us with the strength from God! 
Lord, may you adjust our eyes to focus not on earthly values, but on heavenly values and your will. Help us to remove our lust and enter into your glorious will, so that your will can be accomplished through us. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen! |
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