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.”
Matthew 20:20-28
Questions for Reflection:
What do you suppose was going through the mother's mind which lead her to do what she did? How vulnerable are you to this sort of thinking and acting ..... especially when it comes to your kids?
What is Jesus trying to really teach His disciples after he observes their indignation toward the brothers? What does this tell us about life in the Kingdom of God?
How do you feel about the lesson He is teaching?
Prayer of the Week:
My dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You now to be restored in You, to be renewed in You to receive Your love and Your life and all the grace and mercy I so desperately need this day.
Father, you love me with an incomprehensible love but I ask now that You give eyes of faith to see the magnitude of Your love for me. I pray that I might know the length and width and height and depth of Your love for me. I want to know Your love and I want to know You. Thank you for loving me so well through Jesus. His sacrificial unconditional love for me blows me away. Thank you for putting Your love into action through Jesus. I receive Him and all His life and all His work which You made sure was done for me and every other human being. What love! What grace!
Father, Son, Holy Spirit I confess that I can so easily despise Your love through my thoughts, words and deeds. One way I do this is when I compare myself to others in such a way that results in envy, jealousy and resentment towards them and You. I realize that at times I am prone to thinking that You are less gracious, more stingy and less giving with me than others. I can even do this when I look at what my life lacks and conclude my sin or failures must have turned You off somehow ……… oh I am so sorry for all the ways I limit my perception of Your grace, love and goodness to me. I do not want to envious of others and resentful of You.
I receive and trust Your complete and total forgiveness and ask Your help with living free today. Fill me afresh Holy Spirit so I am free to see and enjoy Your many graces, many blessings, many gifts in my life. I get to enjoy You Jesus and what You have given me …. which is so very much. I do not have to be lured into the trap of looking at what others have and what I don’t have which takes my soul into lifeless places. I am in Your care and I rejoice that I get to enjoy You Jesus today … all day, every day. Thank You for You!
Amen
