Mark 10:35-41 (NKJV) 35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.” 36 And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 37 They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” 39 They said to Him, “We are able.” So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; 40 but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.” 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.
Yesterday I focused on one phrase from Mark 10. Jesus pointed out how things were done in the world and then said to his disciples, “It shall not be so among you.” In the rest of the chapter, we see a number of incidents that highlight the difference between the world’s way and the bible way of doing things. We must follow the bible pattern. We cannot allow culture, popularity or anything else to override the authority of the Word of God in our lives.
We are Christians first and foremost. We must allow the principles in the Word determine what we do and how we do what we do. Anything else will result in one of two things. Either we will fail altogether or we will find ourselves succeeding in a way that does not build the Kingdom of God. In the end, we will pay a price that we will not want to pay.
Today I want to continue looking at this chapter. Jesus has revealed to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and be offered up as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. I believe that James and John realize that things are going to change soon. They want to be in a position to fulfill the will of God in their lives, so they ask Jesus to do something for them.
Their attitude was not one of rebellion or pride. If it were, Jesus would have rebuked them just as he rebuked Peter in Matthew 16. Peter had just received a wonder revelation and a commendation from Jesus. Shortly thereafter, Peter tries to protect Jesus but Jesus does not commend him again.
Matthew 16:22-23 (NKJV) 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
He did not tell James and John they were wrong or that they were thinking like men. When they asked him if he would do something for them, he told them to ask. Jesus does not mind if we ask him about our future. He does not mind that we desire to fulfill God’s call on our lives. On the contrary, he wants us to strive for those things.
What James and John ask for is very high. They want seats at Jesus right hand and left hand when he comes into his Kingdom. This seems like they want a place of honor over their brethren. As we look closer, I think we can see another motivation.
Jesus had just told them that he is going to Jerusalem to be betrayed, mocked and killed. He does say he will rise again on the third day. We understand what that means but they did not fully understand the resurrection. They did know what it meant to be betrayed, mocked and killed. They were telling Jesus they wanted to stand with him in his trial and death. This is supported by what says to them in response to their request.
Jesus did not say to them, “Who do you think you are? What makes you think you should occupy that position? There are others who are older, wiser and more deserving than you!”
Instead, he tells them that they do not understand what they are asking. “Can you go through what I must go through?” he asks them. The language is more poetic than that, but in essence that is what he means. They answer, “Yes we can!”
Once again, Jesus does not rebuke them. He tells them that they will go through it. To my ears, he is saying to them, “You do have what it takes to fill the positions for which you have asked.” In the next few verses, Jesus speaks of being great in the Kingdom. I believe he is pleased that these two young men want to be great in the Kingdom of God.
There is nothing wrong with desiring to do great things for God. Jesus wants us to have this desire. Each one of us has a call and a destiny in God. We all have what it takes to be great in the Kingdom. That is what Jesus tells James and John. He sees something in their request that reveals their quality and character. I believe it is in you as well.
Too many Christians simply sit back and accept mediocrity. They do not strive for something more. These two men made some mistakes. They were overzealous in their approach to Jesus. However, at least they were willing to step out and believe for more in their relationship with the Lord. They dared to want greatness in the Kingdom of God.
The mistake they made was in thinking that greatness was tied to position. They asked for a particular position that to their minds translated as the greatness they desired. Jesus did not tell them that they were not worthy of this position. He did tell them that the position was not his to give.
Many times, we focus on position as the measure of greatness. That is a main measure of greatness in the world. “It shall not be so with you.” Jesus tells them that those positions are not his to give. He says that the Father has prepared those positions for someone. He does not say it is not for them. He says it can only go to those that Father determines should fill them.
If we want to be great in the Kingdom, we must remember that God has a place for us that no one else can fill. No one but God can give us our place and no one can take it from us. If we try to obtain a position, we will usually end up in the wrong place. If we allow the Lord to work in our lives, we will find that the place we end up in will be the perfect place for each one of us.
In verse 41, the other ten disciples hear what James and John have asked and become angry. I think the ten misinterpreted James and John’s request. I do not think they were trying to exalt themselves over anyone. When they put their desire in terms of a position, it sent a message they did not intend to send. The result was jealousy.
The desire for position will always create problems. The desire for greatness in the Kingdom will not. God wants you to be great in his Kingdom. He has a special greatness set aside for you and you alone. He wants you to desire to go beyond the mediocre and believe to be the best you can possibly be.
The thing to remember is that we seek greatness in the Kingdom of God, not greatness in the world. This is important because the measure of what makes a person great in God’s Kingdom is different. The way to get to greatness is different. If we strive for greatness before men, it will result in many problems. If we strive to be great in the eyes of our Father, it will lead to great joy: joy for him and for us as well.
How do we become great in the Kingdom of God? Join me tomorrow.
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