Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus along with her sons. Bowing before him, she asked a favor of him. “What do you want?” he asked. She responded, “Say that these two sons of mine will sit, one on your right hand and one on your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus replied, “You don’t know what you’re asking! Can you drink from the cup that I’m about to drink from?” They said to him, “We can.” He said to them, “You will drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left hand isn’t mine to give. It belongs to those for whom my Father prepared it.” Now when the other ten disciples heard about this, they became angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them over and said, “You know that those who rule the Gentiles show off their authority over them and their high-ranking officials order them around. But that’s not the way it will be with you. Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant. Whoever wants to be first among you will be your slave— just as the Human One didn’t come to be served but rather to serve and to give his life to liberate many people.” (Matthew 20:20-28, CEB)
I love this passage because basically James and John’s mother asked Jesus for one of them to sit in the Father’s seat.
We confess through the creeds that Jesus was killed, died, descended to the dead, then rose and ascended into heaven where He is seated at the right hand of the Father. So who is at Jesus’ left hand side? The Father. So whoever, James or John, is sitting on Jesus’ left, they are taking the seat of the Father.
Now I do not want to fill any of those seats or drink from the cup Jesus drank from.
We need to worry about serving others and showing love in all things rather than trying to take seats of power.
Power is not ours to take. Jesus came to serve and to show us how to serve, not how to claim a seat of authority.
Serve. Love out Loud.
aSacredRebel 