This Gospel (Matthew 20:17-28) is almost comical to me. Jesus opens up telling His disciples that he is going to be handed over to a brutal death and then one of the mom's shows up requesting that her sons get to sit at the right and left hand of Jesus in His kingdom! WOW.
Lady, did you just hear where Jesus is going? Yup, death! Dude just shared that he will be handed over for the most painful and humiliating death and your big concern is where your son's get to be in the order of His Kingdom.
This sounds absurd, yet how often do we see this kind of thing here on earth?
The athlete in me sees this all over when it comes to sports. Parents thinking their kids are better or more deserving than others regardless of the work and effort they put in. They think their kids deserve the best positions, yet they aren't willing to work for them.
Jesus basically tells her (these are not exactly His words but what I picture)..."Seriously lady? Did you hear where I am going? Are your sons ready to really follow me? Are they ready to give up their lives for this position of honor? To truly go where I am going they need to give up everything! They need to endure pain and hardship...oh, and one other thing, it's not my call, it's my Father's"
Surprise, surprise, the other 10 heard this little request go down and were pretty darn pissed, so Jesus pulls the team in and addresses them (again, these are what I imagine Him saying)... "Look, things in the Kingdom are different then down here. In the Kingdom, the position of honor goes to those who fully submit to God's will and who serve, not are served"
Are you willing to be obedient, to sacrifice everything and to serve? We are called to pick up our cross and follow Jesus. This is what we must to in order to do that! Obey, sacrifice and serve!
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