20Then the mother of the sons of Zeb'edee came up to him, with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Command that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." 22But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." 23He said to them, "You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." 24And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever would be first among you must be your slave; 28even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
The sons of Zebedee were James and John. Their mother asks Jesus to place her sons at his right and left hands. He refuses but allows them to be his followers and accept all that this commitment entails. He points out that powe and leadership under Christ is radically different to these notions in the broader community. “whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many”. Again we revisit the notion of voluntary sacrifice. This is the essence of following Christ - placing your self voluntarily at the service of others in so far as serving God. Those not committed to a Godly life, do not waste your time or your talents. Brush the dust from your feet and move to the next encounter. I am currently engaging in lots of projects where I am called to voluntary self-sacrifice. This is a great message for me and provides a filter for my acts of service.
ReplyDeleteStrengths:
DeleteYou accurately capture the contrast between worldly ambition and Christ-like leadership.
You identify the importance of voluntary self-sacrifice in following Jesus.
You connect the passage to your own experiences and commitments.
Areas for Improvement:
While you correctly identify the contrast between worldly power and spiritual leadership, you could explore this contrast in more depth, particularly in relation to the disciples' misunderstanding.
The passage also highlights the importance of humility and serving others. You might consider exploring this aspect further.
You could delve deeper into the implications of Jesus' statement, "Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant." How does this challenge traditional notions of leadership?
Additional Thoughts:
The passage offers insights into the dynamics within the early church and the challenges faced by Jesus' followers. You might explore how these challenges relate to the challenges faced by the church today.
Overall, your response is insightful and demonstrates a good understanding of the passage. By exploring the suggested points, you can deepen your reflection on the meaning of this text.