The Necessity of Humility
Mat 20:20 Then the mother of the sons of Zabdi came to Him with her sons, and knelt before Him to make a request of Him.
Mat 20:21 "What is it you desire?" He asked. "Command," she replied, "that these my two sons may sit one at your right hand and one at your left in your Kingdom."
Mat 20:22 "None of you know what you are asking for," said Jesus; "can you drink out of the cup from which I am about to drink?" "We can," they replied.
Mat 20:23 "You shall drink out of my cup," He said, "but a seat at my right hand or at my left it is not for me to allot, but it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
Mat 20:24 The other ten heard of this, and their indignation was aroused against the two brothers.
Mat 20:25 But Jesus called them to Him, and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them.
Mat 20:26 Not so shall it be among you; but whoever desires to be great among you shall be your servant,
Mat 20:27 and whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant;
Mat 20:28 just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as the redemption-price for many."
Introduction.
The mother of Zebedee’s children requests Position for her sons, Mat_20:20, Mat_20:21. Christ, by his answer, shows that sufferings, not worldly honours, are to be the lot of his most faithful followers, and that seats in glory can be given only to those who are prepared for them, Mat_20:22, Mat_20:23. From this our Lord takes occasion to teach the necessity of humility, and to show that those who wished to be chief must be servants of all, Mat_20:24-28.
Mat 20:20 Then the mother of the sons of Zabdi [Zebedee] came to Him with her sons, and knelt before Him to make a request of Him.
Mat 20:21 "What is it you desire?" He asked. "Command," she replied, "that these my two sons may sit one at your right hand and one at your left in your Kingdom."
Notes
Ambitious Mother
She approached Jesus with her two sons and in the spirit of rivalry and competition as for places of honour for her two sons, James and John were her and Zabdi’s sons.
Not everyone who takes a position of humility before you are actually humble. She knelt before Jesus but her read her heart right. She wanted place and glory for her boys.
From abroad, China appears to be a relentlessly ambitious country full of Tiger Mothers, says Tessa Thornileyhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk
Mat 20:22 "None of you know what you are asking for," said Jesus; "can you drink out of the cup from which I am about to drink?" "We can," they replied.
Notes
Ye know not what ye ask - You do not know the nature of your request, nor what would be involved in it.
You suppose that it would be attended only with honor and happiness if the request was granted, whereas it would require much suffering and trial.
Are ye able to drink of the cup ... - To drink of a cup, in the Scriptures, often signifies to be afflicted, or to be punished, Mat_26:39; Isa_51:17, Isa_51:22; Psa_73:10; Psa_75:8; Jer_25:15; Rev_16:9. The figure is taken from a feast, where the master of a feast extends a cup to those present. Thus God is represented as extending to his Son a cup filled with a bitter mixture - one causing deep sufferings, Joh 18:11 Jesus therefore said to Peter, "Put back your sword. Shall I refuse to drink the cup of sorrow which the Father has given me to drink?"
This was the cup to which he referred.
The baptism that I am baptized with - This is evidently a phrase denoting the same thing. Are ye able to suffer with me - to endure the trials and pains which shall come upon you and me in endeavoring to build up my kingdom? Are you able to bear it when sorrows shall cover you like water, and you shall be sunk beneath calamities as floods, in the work of religion? Afflictions are often expressed by being sunk in the floods and plunged in deep waters, Psa_69:2; Isa_43:2; Psa_124:4-5; Lam_3:54.
Mat 20:23 "You shall drink out of my cup," He said, "but a seat at my right hand or at my left it is not for me to allot, but it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
Notes
"You shall drink out of my cup," He said…….
You will experience suffering and death for me. See James was killed by Herod. Act_12:2 “And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.”
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| James killed by the sword |
John was exiled onto the Isle of Patmos in the Aegean Sea.
Rev_1:9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
but it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
Is not mine to give ... - The translation of this place evidently does not express the sense of the original. The translation expresses the idea that Jesus has nothing to do in bestowing rewards on his followers. This is at variance with the uniform testimony of the Scriptures, Mat_25:31-40; Joh_5:22-30. The correct translation of the passage would be, “To sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, except to those for whom it is prepared by my Father.” The passage thus declares that Christ would give rewards to his followers, but only to such as should be entitled to them according to the purpose of his Father. Much as he might be attached to these two disciples, yet he could not bestow any such signal favors on them out of the regular course of things. Barnes
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| Apostle John Exiled on Island of Patmos |
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| Biblical Island of Patmos where John was imprisoned |
Mat 20:24 The other ten heard of this, and their indignation was aroused against the two brothers.
Notes
Position hunters cause anger in the other disciples
The ambition which leads to spiritual lordship is one great cause of murmurings and animosities in religious societies, and has proved the ruin of the most flourishing Churches in the universe. A.C.
Mat 20:25 But Jesus called them to Him, and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them.
Notes
"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them.
Lord it over them; to dominate G2634 κατακυριεύω katakurieuō Thayer Definition:
1) to bring under one’s power, to subject one’s self, to subdue, master
2) to hold in subjection, to be master of, exercise lordship over
Part of Speech: verb
Exercise dominion - and - exercise authority upon them - They tyrannized and exercised arbitrary power over the people. This was certainly true of the governments in our Lord’s time, both in the east and in the west. I have endeavored to express, as nearly as possible, the meaning of the two Greek verbs, κατακυριευουσιν, and κατεξουσιαζουσιν; and those who understand the genius of the language will perceive that I have not exhausted their sense, however some may think that no emphasis was intended, and that these compound verbs are used for the simple κυριευειν, and εξουσιαζειν. See Wakefield and Rosenmuller.
The government of the Church of Christ is widely different from secular governments. It is founded in humility and brotherly love: it is derived from Christ, the great Head of the Church, and is ever conducted by his maxims and spirit. When political matters are brought into the Church of Christ, both are ruined. The Church has more than once ruined the State; the State has often corrupted the Church: A.C.
Mat 20:26 Not so shall it be among you; but whoever desires to be great among you shall be your servant,
Mat 20:27 and whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant;
Notes
v.26 servant G1249 διάκονος diakonos
Thayer Definition: 1) one who executes the commands of another, especially of a master, a servant, attendant, minister 1a) the servant of a king 1b) a deacon, one who, by virtue of the office assigned to him by the church, cares for the poor and has charge of and distributes the money collected for their use 1c) a waiter, one who serves food and drink
v.27 a bondservant G1401 δοῦλος doulos Thayer Definition: 1) a slave, bondman, man of servile condition 1a) a slave 1b) metaphorically, one who gives himself up to another’s will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men
1c) devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests 2) a servant, attendant
Part of Speech: noun
Mat 20:28 just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as the redemption-price for many."
Jesus sacrificed His Life to ransom us from the slavery to self sin and the devil. Are you will to lay down your life too?
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