Naylor Community Christian Church
I. Introduction
-- turn in
Bibles to Matthew 20:20-28
Matthew 20:20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to
Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
21 “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.”
22 “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.
23 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.”
24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant
with the two brothers. 25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that
the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise
authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great
among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your
slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and
to give his life as a ransom for many.”
-- in our
study of the life of Jesus up to this point, we have looked at the progressive revelation
of God to the world of who Jesus was and why He had come
-- Jesus
was revealed to us to be the Son of Man through His birth, His teachings, and
the miracles which revealed His nature and His character to us
-- and we
began to grasp the mission of Jesus through His proclamation of Himself as the
Messiah in the synagogue in Nazareth -- through His reteaching of the Law in
the Sermon on the Mount -- and through His calling of the disciples to come and
follow Him
-- last
week, the entire picture of Jesus came together as we looked at the
Transfiguration -- when Jesus was transfigured and transformed in the presence
of Peter, James, and John and appeared in all His unveiled glory and majesty --
expressing His true nature as both the Son of Man -- our representative on
earth -- the Second Adam -- and the Son of God -- the Christ -- the King of
Kings and the Lord of Lords
-- all that
Jesus had been saying about Himself and the reason He came to earth was
revealed in that moment to the three disciples there with Him
-- but as
they made their way down the Mount of Transfiguration and back into the world, I’m
sure the question on their mind is the same that we have had from time to time
-- how do we fit into this plan of God? -- what is our role and our purpose in
the Kingdom of God?
-- now that
we have seen Jesus and know that He is truly the Son of God -- the Christ --
what do we do? -- what does He want us to do?
-- we see the
disciples struggling to answer those questions in this passage that follows the
Transfiguration event, as the mother of James and John tries to press Jesus to
secure her son’s positions in the coming kingdom
-- with
that, let us look back at Matthew 20 and let’s explore this question of our
role in the Kingdom of God
II. Scripture
Lesson (Matthew 20:20-28)
-- verse 20-21
Matthew 20:20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to
Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
21 “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.”
-- ever
since Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Christ and the experience of Peter,
James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus had shared with His
disciples what was coming next
-- He told
them that they had to go up to Jerusalem -- that He would suffer at the hands
of the Jews -- be crucified -- and then be raised to life on the third day
-- in fact,
He tells them that in verse 19, right before this verse
-- but none
of them heard what He was saying -- they were still hearing what they wanted to
hear -- they were still thinking that Jesus was going to Jerusalem to set up
His earthly kingdom -- sure, they thought, Jesus will be persecuted and die and
be raised again -- but then, the Kingdom will come -- and the question on all
of their minds was on what they were going to get -- on what their role was
going to be in the Kingdom of Jesus -- as Jesus’ hand-picked men
-- like the
stereotypical Jewish mother, the mother of James and John wasn’t going to sit
around and wait for her sons to do something -- no, she decided to take matters
into her own hand -- she was going to press Jesus to make her sons rulers in
His kingdom -- I mean, after all, they were part of Jesus’ top three disciples
-- so, why not make sure they were considered Numbers One and Two when the positions
were given out in the new kingdom?
-- so, she came
to Jesus and knelt down, and worshiped Him -- but notice that her worship came
at a price -- she worshiped Jesus because she wanted something from Him -- she
thought that by appealing to Him in that way, He would do what she wanted
-- how many
times do we do that? -- how many times do we come and worship Jesus or go to
Him in prayer -- not because of who He is -- not because of what He has done
for us -- but because we want Him to do something for us? -- how many times do
we put “self” on the throne of worship while giving lip-service to Jesus?
-- Jesus
saw right through her motives -- “What is it you want?” He asked
-- how discouraging it must have
been for Him to have to ask that question -- here He was, about to give everything
on behalf of the world -- about to offer Himself up as an atoning sacrifice on
the cross for all of us -- about to endure the shame of the cross and to become
sin and bear that sin on the cross of punishment in our place -- and here
Zebedee’s wife comes with her selfish request -- seeking to promote her sons
-- “put one
of my sons on your right and one on your left when you come into your kingdom”
-- in other words, “exalt my sons -- make them the greatest in your kingdom
outside of you -- let them be greater than all the rest”
-- now,
don’t forget -- Zebedee’s wife wasn’t doing this on her own -- James and John
were right there with her -- this was a plan -- this was something that the
three of them worked out together and brought to Jesus so that they would be
exalted -- so that they would be the greatest in the Kingdom
-- do you
see what they’re doing here? -- for three years, James and John had lived in a
close group with the other disciples and Jesus -- as God’s progressive
revelation of Jesus had been shared with them, they had come to know Him as the
Messiah -- they had seen His love and compassion on display -- they had seen
His mercy and grace
-- by watching Jesus and knowing
Him, they had been taught how to love like Him -- they had seen Jesus give of
Himself time and time again on behalf of others -- but here, as their journey
is nearing its end -- as they’re going up to Jerusalem for the last time --
their human nature -- their desire for self-promotion and power and prestige
takes over -- and they come to Jesus and ask Him to promote them above all the
rest
-- verse 22-23
22 “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.
23 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.”
-- Jesus says, “You don’t know what
you’re asking” -- for one thing, they obviously have not understood what is
going to happen to Jesus when they get to Jerusalem -- they have heard Him talk
about the persecution and that He was going to die, but they’re not connecting
the dots -- they don’t understand the extent of the cup of God’s wrath and
judgment that Jesus is about to drink
-- that’s why He says, “You don’t
know what you’re asking” -- you can’t handle what I am about to handle -- you
will drink from the cup of suffering, but not in the same way as I will -- for
Jesus was going to suffer for the sins of the whole world
-- but they also didn’t know what
they were asking because by asking this question, they were making it evident
that they had completely missed the whole point of the message Jesus had been
preaching and teaching -- for three years, they had lived with Him and been
taught how to love and to serve others
-- His message had never been about
exalting themselves -- it had never been about seeking power and prestige in
the kingdom -- so, they are asking for something that they shouldn’t be seeking
-- that was not the way to become great in the kingdom of God
-- verse 24
24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant
with the two brothers.
-- when the other disciples heard what James and John had
done, Matthew says that they were “indignant” -- they were upset -- they were
not happy -- why?
-- well,
for one thing, I think it’s because none of them had thought of it first --
think about what we know of Peter and the others -- don’t you think they would
have asked Jesus to be promoted if they had thought of it first?
--
secondly, they were upset with James and John’s request because every one of
them -- in their hearts -- believed that they were more capable -- more
deserving -- than James and John
-- even
after three years of being with Jesus, the disciples were still a selfish lot
-- putting self above others -- always seeking the better position -- the
better seat -- we see that all the way up to the Last Supper, when the
disciples refuse to wash their feet and try to take the better place at the
table
-- they
were still thinking worldly and still thinking the Kingdom of God was about
power, even though Jesus had taught them otherwise
-- verse 25-28
25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that
the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise
authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great
among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your
slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and
to give his life as a ransom for many.”
-- so, Jesus saw what was going on
-- I imagine there was quite an uproar as the twelve disciples argued with each
other about what James and John had tried to do and about who should be in the
highest place with Jesus in the Kingdom
-- finally, Jesus called the 12
over to Him and explained to them, once again, what it meant to be great in the
Kingdom -- “whoever wants to be great, must be a servant -- they must be a
slave to the others” -- in other words, those who are great are those who deny themselves
and take up their cross and follow me in the path of sacrifice and slavery and
servanthood -- this is your purpose in the Kingdom -- this is your role -- this
is the highest place -- this is what I have been showing you
-- if you
want to be great, don’t try to exalt yourself -- if you want to be great, put
others’ needs and wants and desires above your own -- if you want to be great,
don’t focus on yourself -- focus instead on serving those around you and
promoting their interests above your own
-- in answer to the questions,
what are we called to do in the Kingdom of God? -- what is our role and purpose
in Christ’s kingdom? -- here it is
-- we are
called to serve -- we are called to love -- we are called to share the good
news of Christ with others -- we are exalted only to the point where we humble
ourselves in service to Christ and those around us
-- we find
this calling given to us in the Great Commandment and the Great Commission,
which Jesus gave to His disciples after the resurrection -- to remind you of
what the call of the church is, let me share those with you
-- the
Great Commandment -- Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and
mind and strength -- and love your neighbor as yourself
-- and the
Great Commission -- Go and make disciples of all nations -- baptizing them in
the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you to do
-- those
are our selfless acts of service that are our appropriate response to Jesus’
Lordship in our lives -- rather than seeking places of honor -- rather than
trying to put ourselves above others -- the revelation of Jesus as the Son of
Man and the Son of God -- as the Christ -- calls us to humble ourselves and
seek to serve Him and others before ourselves
-- at this
point, the disciples did not fully understand this -- and wouldn’t -- until
after the death and resurrection of Christ and after He revealed to them the
mission and purpose of the church in this new age
-- this is
something that we all continue to struggle with in our lives and in our culture
-- we always seek power and prestige -- recognition -- respect -- and we jockey
against one another to try to better ourselves and the ones we love
-- but that
is not the way of the Kingdom of God -- that is not the calling of the church
-- that is not what Jesus’ life has been showing us as we have studied it from
the incarnation up to this point
-- our
response to Jesus should be one of humbleness and service, for that is the role
of the Christian in God’s Kingdom
III. St. Patrick
-- to bring
this to a close, I wanted to take a moment and look at the story of St. Patrick
-- as you know, today is St. Patrick’s Day, and in looking at the life and
calling and ministry of St. Patrick, you can see the example of a man who truly
understood his role in the kingdom of God
-- I have
always been fascinated with St. Patrick -- I grew up reading stories about
swords and sorceries -- about King Arthur and his knights of the round table --
and of the druids and how the people lived in Britain and Scotland and Ireland
in the early days -- and this is the world that St. Patrick lived in
-- he has
become a man of legend, with many stories and myths attributed to him -- some
true -- some not so true -- we remember him today as the patron saint of
Ireland who stood against the power of the druids to bring Christianity to
Ireland -- the holy man who drove the snakes out of the country and used the
three-leaf clover as a device to help spread the gospel message in a pagan land
-- but the
thing to know is that St. Patrick was a real man -- a godly man -- a true
servant of Christ -- and if you cut through the mists of myth and know the true
story of Patrick, you will see why we celebrate his memory on this day
-- Patrick
was born in Britain in the fourth century -- the son of a leader in the local
community and church and the grandson of a priest -- this was a time of chaos
and decline in Britain as the Roman Empire was beginning to crumble -- the
Roman forces had withdrawn from Britain back to Italy to protect the seat of
their power, leaving Britain and the other former territories without military
support and vulnerable to attacks from
the Picts and the Irish and the other tribes and clans that had previously
warred with the native Britons
-- in the
power void left by the Romans, these other tribes began raiding the countryside
of Britain -- attacking and pillaging towns and villages and taking young men
and women captive for slaves -- it was in such an attack that Patrick was
captured and carried to Ireland as a slave when he was just 16 years old
-- for six
years, Patrick served as a shepherd in Ireland -- living as a slave in a pagan
land ruled by local chieftains who constantly warred with each other -- it was
here Patrick was first introduced to the religion of the Druids, and realized
how the Druids kept the nation dominated by requiring strict adherence to their
religious practices -- follow the religion of the Druids -- follow their
commands -- or you would die
-- yet still,
Patrick maintained his faith in Christ and spent his time in the countryside
praying and reciting scripture -- much as David did in his time as shepherd in
ancient Israel
-- Patrick
wrote in his Confessions that after
he had been in Ireland for six years, he heard a voice telling him that he
would soon go home -- a few months later, the voice spoke again, saying that
his ship was ready -- and Patrick fled from his slave master, made his way to
the coast, where he caught a ship back to Britain
-- while in
Britain, Patrick's faith continued to grow and he began to serve in the
Catholic church, as his father and grandfather had done -- one day, Patrick had
a vision of a group of Irish men crying out to him, "We appeal to you,
holy servant boy, to come and walk among us again"
-- Patrick
realized that God was calling him to leave his homeland and to return to
-- Patrick
had a choice to make -- he could stay in
-- to go to
Ireland was dangerous, and likely to result in his death -- to go to Ireland
meant that he would face persecution and trials and troubles, not only from the
chieftains and the Irish people, but especially from the Druids who had
enslaved the island with their superstitious religion -- still, Christ bid him
to go and to serve by telling the Irish about the gospel of Christ -- and
Patrick went -- facing his fears and the trials ahead -- and carried the light
of Christ to a people living in darkness
-- without
a doubt, Patrick's ministry in Ireland was extremely fruitful -- in his Confessions, he says that he baptized thousands
of people -- he ordained priests to lead the new Christian communities -- and
he founded hundreds of churches throughout Ireland -- some of which can still
be seen to this day
-- almost
single-handedly, Patrick led Ireland out of the darkness of pagan superstition into
the light of Christianity -- this is the real reason why we celebrate St.
Patrick’s Day every year and why Patrick is revered in Ireland to this very day
-- it’s not
because Patrick went back to Ireland to rule -- it’s not because Patrick went
back desiring to be head of the church or to sit at Christ’s right hand -- it’s
because Patrick went back to Ireland to serve as Christ commanded -- to once
again, become a slave to the people of Ireland in service to the true King,
Christ Jesus by carrying the gospel to the people of that land
IV. Closing
-- so, as
we close this morning, I want us to take a moment and consider the contrast
between the story of Zebedee’s wife and that of St. Patrick -- on one hand, we
see a mother and her sons striving for power, prestige, and position in the
Kingdom, thinking that this would make them great -- while on the other, we see
a humble servant of God -- who left a ministry in Britain to go back to the
land of slavery -- to serve his former captives by sharing with them the good
news of Christ and shining a light in this dark land
-- Jesus has made it clear what He
wants us to do -- He has shown us the way through His life and in His preaching
and teaching -- He calls us to Him, not to serve as rulers, but to serve as
slaves -- to offer ourselves to others and to Him -- as He calls us to share
the good news with those around us
-- we don’t have to wonder what God
wants us to do -- we don’t have to wonder if we are in God’s will -- we don’t
have to wonder what God’s will is for us -- we simply have to read it and
believe it and do it
-- God has
given us a mission to love Him and our neighbors -- to go and make disciples of
all nations -- that is our role in the kingdom of Christ -- we know it -- we
feel it when we study God’s word -- this is God’s will for us
-- the real
reason we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day is because we see in him a man who knew
God -- who heard God -- and who did what God wanted him to do
-- who
didn’t try to exalt himself but humbled himself in service to Christ and others
-- so, as
we close, let me encourage you to examine your hearts -- to examine your lives
-- are you doing what God wants you to do? -- as you read His word and see His
commands, are you doing what He asks you to do?
-- God has
shown us His will -- it is up to us to do as St. Patrick did and to go forth
and fulfill God’s will in our own individual lives as servants in His kingdom
-- let us
pray
