Sermon Tone Analysis

It has been quite some time since we looked at those verses.

Every time we read those verses, we note the radical difference between the outlook of those who are blessed, those in the Kingdom, versus that of the world’s system.

The culture and comforts and lifestyle of those in Jesus’ day may have been much different than ours, but there are always commonalities.

And one of those, especially among the larger culture influenced by the Romans and the Greeks, was the concept that humility was weakness, and pride was strength.

What does it mean to be humble?

Well, those four beatitudes described it well.

Poor in spirit, mourning, meek, and hungry.

All of those things bring with them an admission of need, an admission of insufficiency, and an outlook of seeking.

In terms of comparison, as an outlook, they place us below, rather than above.

Pride does the exact opposite.

Pride says “I’m sufficient.”

Pride says “I’m above.”

Pride says “My happiness or experience of peace is the goal.”

What pride rarely does is take the form of a servant.

Pride rarely willingly takes second place in order to exalt someone else.

Pride rarely looks to the best interest of others at the detriment of self.

But as we will see in this passage, that is exactly what the goal is.

What we find in our text today is maybe not an overt or blatant display of the worse kind of pride, but by seeing how Jesus responds, we can tell that it is not the Kingdom attitude that he sees, but that of the world.

May that be a simple reminder as we begin.

So much of our lives, especially as followers and servants of Jesus Christ, has to do with our attitudes.

In every situation there may not be a silver bullet answer, there may not be a quick fix or simple solution, but there is always a Kingdom attitude to have, and that is the attitude of the servant, the attitude of humility.

Greatness in the Kingdom of Christ is not achieved in the same ways as greatness in the kingdoms of the world.

Whoever would be great must be a servant.

A Bold Request - 20-21

I said a moment ago that what we see is not an all-out example of pride, but there is at least some boldness there, and coupled with the mindset that Jesus addresses, this gives us a good example of what not to do, how not to think.

I toyed with the idea of calling this sermon “how not to be great in Christ’s Kingdom,” but Jesus turns it around into a more positive lesson, so we are probably better to think of it in those terms.

The mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Back in Matthew 4, when we saw the calling of some of these disciples, we saw that Jesus called James and John from a boat, a boat that they were working in with their father Zebedee.

So this is Zebedee’s wife, James and John’s mother.

We can put some pieces together in other places and find out that her name is Salome.

She was one of the three who carried spices to Jesus’ tomb and discovered it empty.

So whatever we learn about her here, we must know that she was at least a follower of Jesus.

Her sons testimony and example had done something for her.

She was one of the faithful Israelites who, when met with the Messiah, did not reject him.

And she comes, with her two sons, and kneels before Jesus.

She says, “can I ask you for something?”

Her posture probably indicates that she knows her question is a big one, and it may even indicate that she knows its a risky question to ask.

She comes before him in an honoring way, but there is somewhat of an angle behind that honor.

But the way she asks it is probably familiar to us.

Sometimes we say things like this, “Will you promise me something?”

Hoping to get the promise of a promise before the full request is out.

Or, we say, “you have to promise not to tell anyone this...” before we even say what “this” is (by the way, I’ve found that can often be a trap, especially if it’s coming from someone you don’t know that well.)

Then she tells him - “say that my sons will sit on your right and left hand in the kingdom.”

It’s not a question, “what could my sons do to ensure they will have a prominent place in your kingdom?”

Or, “what is the process for getting one of the best chairs in the house?”

It’s not even really a request, the way she words it “say that they will sit at your right and left hand.”

Now, how did she arrive at this question?

Did James and John put her up to this? Was it her idea?

Was this simply her motherly instinct of wanting the best for her children?

Furthermore, how did she have the boldness to ask such a question?

One possibility, is that some clues in scripture and much of tradition tells us that Salome was actually a sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus, (Compare Matthew 27, Mark 15, and John 19) which would have made James and John Jesus’ cousins.

Was there a behind-the-scenes angle of Salome having Mary’s ear, and that somehow trying to influence Mary’s son into giving her nephews a prominent place in the Kingdom?

We’re not sure - either way, it was bold.

It was bold if it is coming from James and John, and it is bold if it’s coming from the mother.

A request of privilege always leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

In my years of service on the school board, we get these sometimes.

It always leaves you asking, “what if everyone else asked the same thing?”

Now, we have to point out though, at least that there was an element of faith here.

The request itself may have been selfish, but it did hinge on the fact that James and John and their Mother truly believed that Jesus was going to be reigning in his kingdom.

And it also probably tells us that they believed what he said back in chapter 19.

We didn’t talk much about that, because we don’t know exactly what Jesus was referring to.

One very possible option is that it ties in to the 24 Elders in Revelation.

That it might be 12 representatives of the tribes of Israel, and the 12 Apostles.

That’s a likely answer.

But regardless of tis meaning, James and John probably at least remembered it!

And they believed it.

Now, did they go too far in asking for privilege?

Yes, they did - but there was at least some faith evident there.

Even here we can begin to apply this to our lives.

We see something like this from the outside, and we say “how could you ask that?”

But often we view our lives through the lens of hoping for privilege, don’t we?

We know the promises that Jesus has made, promises of persecution and trouble and tribulation, but we secretly hope that we might be able to escape those things.

An eye of privilege is never a healthy eye, and an attitude of elevating ourselves does not reflect Christ.

An Honest Response - 22-23

Jesus, apparently knowing that this request probably comes from James and John through their mother, turns to them and says, “you don’t know what you are asking.”

There is honesty on the part of Jesus.

He doesn’t immediately scold them, but he does require them to think.

Are you able to drink my cup?

You don’t know what you are asking.

Now, what is Jesus cup?

The cup motif in the Old testament usually has to do with punishment and wrath.

It can refer to a cup of blessing, but here, the obvious connotation is that it is going to be a difficult cup.

Jesus is not asking, “Are you able to recieve bountiful blessings?”

He is asking, “are you able to bear the kind of death I am going to bear?”

We will get to this in a couple of months, but Jesus Himself would pray in the garden concerning this cup.

The cup of Jesus was, ultimately, the cup of suffering and death.

His would be unique, in that he would bear the people’s sins in his sinless body.

In that way, the disciples could never drink that cup.

They could never bear the cup of wrath for someone else as Jesus did.

But I think Jesus is asking them, do you know that you are going to have to die?

James and John, with whatever understanding they had, said “we can drink it!

We are able!”

And I think, they truly meant that.

I think that they truly believed, at that point, that they would do anything for their Master.

There would be a test, though, that would prove to humble them.

Later in that same passage in Matthew 26, James and John would leave Jesus and flee when he was arrested.

At that point, at least, they could not bear the cup.

But Jesus lets their answer lie, and he even affirms it in one sense.

“You will drink it.”

This, I believe, looks ahead to the fact that James became a martyr for Jesus early in the church age, and John himself suffered great woes and was exiled to the Island of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation.