Christian Counseling Service -- Devotions

Stretching out, opening up

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Matthew 20:17-21, 26-27
As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day."

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons and did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.

He said to her, "What do you wish?"

She answered him, "Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom." ...

Jesus said, "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave."

Mothers say the darndest things. Jesus had just told her sons about his impending death, and she comes to him seeking favor for them in some empire she sees Jesus overseeing from Jerusalem.

Of course Jesus uses the moment to teach a lesson on humility and servanthood. Did Zebedee's wife understand? Did she have trouble seeing past the glory of her own family? Did she need to protect her sons from the outside world? Did she think Jesus owed her something, or owed her sons something?

Don't know about her. I do know that most of those thoroughly self-centered motivations apply to me sometimes. Jesus invites me into the widest of arenas ("go into all the world, and I will be with you always") and then I choose to stay in my own small corner of it, bordered on all sides by family.

Nothing wrong with that, is there? Bloom where you're planted, first take care of the ones you're entrusted with, to thine ownself be true. Of course there's nothing wrong with that. But Jesus talks about the whole world like family. Everyone-everyone-everyone is part of the same whole. And those who serve and sacrifice what they've been given are the ones who lead. Looking out for the "undesirables" is more important by far than looking out for myself.

Perhaps Zebedee's wife didn't hear Jesus' story of the "good Samaritan" (Luke 10:25-37). But her sons did. Maybe they didn't know their mom was going to ask Jesus for this favor. Or maybe they put her up to it. Jesus' words in response were powerful. And his actions will soon demonstrate commitment to servanthood and sacrifice in the most graphic and final way possible.

You lead, Lord, and give me courage to follow.

Devotions Archive

Stretching out, opening up

Thursday, March 20, 2008