KINGDOM LIVING
Keep yourself in the rearview mirror
Matthew 20:20-28
Jerry A Collins
SCC
v Is it right
for us to want to be recognized?
v How does
God expect us to invest our lives?
v Where
should we be looking for our significance?
Most,
if not all, people desire the acclaim of other people. I suggest that everyone
even fantasizes about this recognition in one way or another. We want to be the
focus of someone’s attention. So we spend an awful lot of energy trying to earn
that attention from our boss, peers, friends, authorities, parents, children,
coaches, or team. This is competing for someone else’s recognition of us. That
kind of competition is based in pride and that is the root problem with our
ambition for attention. The Bible never encourages us
to do that. This is the world’s way of pursuing greatness. Jesus had to deal
with this ambitious prideful pursuit amongst His own disciples. The incident is
recorded for is in Matthew 20:20-28. Here we learn of the wrong way to pursue
greatness in the eyes of God.
SETTING 17-19
Jesus
has just given another and even more detailed prediction of His death and
suffering vss 17-19, which seems to have fallen on
deaf ears. He says he will be handed over to the authorities and then be put to
death. But then He will be raised the third day. You can see the progression of
revelation about this—
SPIRITUAL GREATNESS IS NOT BASED ON FAVORITISM
Their
mother comes and bows down asking if her two sons may sit on Jesus rite and
left in His kingdom 20-21. In Mark’s account it is James and John who approach
Him and make this request Mk 10:35. Clearly all three are involved in this
scheme with the mother urging Jesus to listen to their request as she repeats
it here. We also learn from Mark that the two disciples began their request
with another intentionally general one teacher
we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you. Seems like a child trying
to get his parents to promise something before asking, fearing that the
specific request may be denied. The effect of this request is the claim that of
all the greats who have lived they deserved to have the highest places of
honor. Using the influence of family and friends, connections and associations,
to get ahead of others is a usual tactic commonly employed to get advantage
over others. God is not impressed by who you know or who knows you. Having
other people speak on your behalf does not sway God because greatness in His
kingdom is never based on that sort of thing. The whole nature of favoritism is
incompatible with spiritual greatness. Jesus indicates this as He responds to
this request. You do not know what you
are asking 22a. In other words, the three of them had no idea what the
implications were of their request.
SPIRITUAL GREATNESS IS NOT BASED ON SELFISH AMBITION
Jesus
asks them a question 22b. This cup seems to be the suffering that Christ would
suffer He was just speaking of in vs 18-19. To drink
that cup meant going all of the way. They confidently claimed they were able to
do that. They could endure anything required of them. We know from Mt 26:56
that these two brothers along with the rest of the disciples fled for their
lives when Jesus was arrested. Their self-serving ambition is foolish. Jesus
did affirm My cup you shall drink. James was the
first apostle to be martyred Acts 12:2 and John was the last apostle to die
exiled on the
SPIRITUAL
GREATNESS IS NOT BASED ON CONTROLLING PEOPLE
Jesus
used this occasion to talk about authority. Lord
it over vs 25 is an intensive word meaning to
rule down on people. It can be used for dictatorship and tyranny-like the
Caesars, the Herod’s, Pilate—under all of whom the
Jews had suffered. Their great men
exercise authority using their powerful position, or even their
manipulative tactics like flattery, charm to serve their own ends at the
expense of others. This is the way the world operates. The elite and powerful
have control. So it would make sense then to pursue greatness this way
spiritually. Authority and control have always been the world’s method of
pursuing greatness. Most of the popular books we read are about the powerful in
the past or present. Jesus says this self-serving, self-promoting,
self-glorifying way to greatness is the complete opposite of the path to
spiritual greatness in God’s Kingdom. It seems that if you consider what is
exactly opposite of the world’s ways to most things, you are much closer to
God’s way of thinking. That is why the Bible often warns us not to adopt the
world’s ideas, strategies or remedies.
SPIRITUAL GREATNESS IS BASED ON SLAVERY
First, Jesus says greatness comes
by being a servant to one another vs 26. Doing menial labor like serving tables, and house cleaning, as the
word was used. This describes the lowest level of help needing little
training or skill. Jesus will illustrate this when He washes their feet (selfless—not letting
personal circumstances
in the way, practical—they had dirty feet, menial—no recognition for this,
voluntary—did not wait, undeserving—they would betray Him, insignificant—no
personal benefit, sacrificial—no personal comfort). Second, He intensifies the
way to greatness as slavery vs 27. A slave’s work even lower and more
demeaning. A servant is free to go and do but a slave belongs to a
master and goes and does as the master demands—same word used in Rom 1:1; Phil
1:1. Spiritual greatness associates with discomfort & loneliness &
insignificance & dishonor & sacrifice. Jesus is the perfect pattern vs 28. It is substitution
giving our lives that is the pattern to follow. His life was a ransom for many. He bought others
freedom through His sacrifice. This has implications by the way for husbands
loving their wives as Christ loved the church. There is no authority in the
church except Christ. Men having authority is a worldly concept not to exist in
Christ’s body.