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.”
When Jesus came to earth and dwelled among us, He was not looking for fame, power, wealth, or honor...Jesus is a Humble Man, full of Grace and Truth and Mercy and Forgiveness...
When John and James' Mother came to Jesus to ask if one of her sons could sit on the right and the other on the left in His Kingdom, she nor her sons, nor the other disciples knew what was about to happen to Him...They did not know what they were asking Him...And He tells the mother this...“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to the three of them...“Can you drink the cup I AM going to drink?”...“We can,” the brothers answered...
They did not know His cup was the cup of Passion, the Passion of death that He would die on the cross...Suffering was His drink in the cup and Jesus would die from this drink, this cross for mankind...The Disciple's mother was, I believe, thinking in terms of more honor and power...But 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.”...When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers...They too, would probably wanted to sit at either His right or His left in His Kingdom...Or minds think that way-wouldn't it be nice to sit right beside Him, I know I would...So 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...Not so with you...Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 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 does not think in terms of power, recognition, honor, or fame...He thinks more in terms of serving, loving, helping, mercy, humility, and forgiving...I am not sure He cares to really be noticed...So whoever wants to become great among us, we first must be servants, and whoever wants to be first must first learn to be each other's slave— 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...He would die on the cross as ransom for our sin debt...Jesus came to serve us and was not and is not looking for honor or power or fame, but looking to help others and serve others, just as we too, should be doing...