Matthew 20:20-28
A Mother’s Request
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.”
Jesus Disciples lost focus of what He was doing in His teachings and the Way He did things, or at least their mother did at one point in His ministry...The mother of James and John wanted them to have powerful positions in His Kingdom...But that is not the Way of Jesus and is not what He was teaching to the people He met everyday, as He travelled from village to village telling them of the good news, His gospel...He never taught about who was in charge and who was not...Concentrating on who is going to be in charge takes away from His Teachings and has no room for the servants we need to be on earth in helping others...
Positions of power, prestige, and authority are something that happens here on earth, but not in the Kingdom of God...The Kingdom of God is not like earth...On earth you might have a CEO, a President, Vie-President, an Assistant Vice-President in charge...We vote in new Presidents every four years, a very high position...But that is earthly life...In the Kingdom of God humbleness and love will be the Way...We will be like angels who love one another in heaven and in harmony in seeing the Greatest of All Things in the Father and His Son...The Light and the Glory of God will shine through and make heaven the very place that only will be to wonderful to imagine...It will be the Very Best Place we have ever been and ever seen - everything in LOVE...