The Cup of Greatness

Introduction

Our passage today ironically, but rightly follows the text from last week. Do you remember? The disciples wanted to hold these little ones back— but Jesus corrected them. The wonderful picture of parents bringing their children before Jesus— asking for blessings. Parents are very important in the lives of children, we celebrated Father’s day— kicked off a great Vacation Bible School week— but this week— this final message of our study in Matthew for this series— we see a disappointing truth. The fact that in our fallen state— our sinful self will almost always seek our own selfish gain. Jesus confronts this worldly ambition, and he uses it as a great example to show what true greatness really is— serving others above yourself. And ultimately HE is the true example for us to model our lives after!

Matthew 20:20 NIV

20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.

Matthew 20:21 NIV

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.”

James and John make a request for a prominent position in the Kingdom of God. (v. 21)

To sit at the right or the left side of the king was definitely a place of honor and authority. This is a bold request.

It is so difficult to stop loving this fallen world. Our sinfulness and the world fit together like a hand and a glove. They both are seeking the same thing. We are so used to this type of thinking when it comes to greatness, we might even hardly notice we’re caught up in it. We want to be important; we want status, significance and fame. Here, a mother because of pride in her sons or perhaps at the direction of her sons approaches Jesus and asks that her two sons, James and John be Jesus’ right- and left-hand men in God’s Kingdom. “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.”

This request is very out of place here and very poorly timed. Look back just a couple verses- verses 17-19. Jesus had just spoken about the ultimate sacrifice that He would make in Jerusalem. This is actually the third time in the Gospel of Matthew that He speaks of this— and the disciples seemingly don’t understand, or don’t want He spoke about His death at the hands of sinful men. He spoke about His death being a very gruesome death and the next thing Matthew reports is the request of James and John wanting extra high status. Jesus is going to the cross and they are asking about importance. They still, no doubt, thought Jesus’ Kingdom was to be on earth.

They still believed Jesus would establish an earthly kingdom.

James and John, the sons of Zebedee probably had put their mother up to it. They still wanted status even though Jesus had been teaching that greatness is the opposite of status and fame.

We must be very cautious and always be watching our own hearts. We too can desire status very easily. How quickly will worldly greatness seek to grab hold of us. The lust for the spotlight and wanting to be heard is a very difficult drive for us to stop. There is only one way we stop and even then, this sin will still show itself occasionally, the cross of Christ.

“Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.”

The scripture states that she did come with her sons and bowed before Him— worshipped Him— but it was paired with this request.

How many times to we often come to church or find ourselves worshipping— with some motive in mind? You want something? What do you want? I want to be great— I want to be on your right hand, or your left...

This phrase, one on your right hand and one at your left, is only used one other time in Matthew’s Gospel. Can you think of where it’s located? It’s nowhere anyone would want to be…

Matthew 27:38 NIV

38 Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.

It’s as if in order to be right next to Jesus in His Kingdom we have to be hung with Jesus, one on His left hand and one on His right. There is no crown without suffering. Jesus tells them, they don’t really know what they’re asking.

Sometimes when we come to God— worshipping with that request— we have no idea what we are asking for!

Jesus replies with a stern correction. (v.22)

Matthew 20:22 NIV

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.

The metaphor of the "cup" in the Bible is a complex one, with multiple meanings. In general, the cup can represent a wide range of things, including: Fate— Suffering— or even blessing or Salvation. It represents the experience before us— we “drink” what is in the cup— we experience it, we take it in.

Jesus tells the two overambitious brothers that they really don’t know what they are asking Him. Are they ready to suffer like Jesus in order to achieve their request? It reminds me of Peter’s bragging— I’ll never leave you!

Jesus teaches that the path to greatness includes suffering.

Jesus is teaching that His Lordship— His Greatness is directly connected to His suffering.

James and John would indeed become martyrs for their faith in Jesus. (v.23)

Matthew 20:23 NIV

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.”

Quite literally, they will suffer. They will go on to drink the cup of suffering.

James is martyred for his faith…

Acts 12:1–2 NIV

1 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.

The Apostle John was banished as a prisoner on the Isle of Patmos…

Revelation 1:9 NIV

9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

Our Lord then, tells James and John that the thrones in the Kingdom of God are not His to grant. In other words, whoever sits upon them has already been determined by God.

Jesus then uses this interaction as a “teachable moment”—

Matthew 20:24 NIV

24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.

The disciples are very angry at James and John for attempting to cut to the front of the line or to inch them out. The sad reality is that all of the disciples were probably still envisioning power and having daydreams of high authority in the Kingdom, even after all Jesus has been teaching them.

Matthew 20:25 NIV

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.

Jesus describes greatness in the world. (v.25)

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them…” Literally, the Greek here is, “Bear Down On”. Like picture someone literally leaning on top of someone— placing all their weight on them. We see this everyday in our world. Many use their authority not to help others below them but to further advance their own agenda and bear down on those of lesser social status. This happens everywhere from the playgrounds to the workplaces to national governments. Someone’s authority or standing is used for their own advancement— for their own selfish agenda.

Power and influence are used for selfish advancement.

Matthew 20:26–27 NIV

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—

Jesus is very clear isn’t He?

In the Kingdom of God those who assume the lowest status, is the greatest. The last shall be first. This truth applies to everyone for all times who are followers of Jesus— disciples of Him. Jesus tells us we must be servants.

Jesus describes greatness in the Kingdom of God.(v.26)

Jesus tells us we will be servants of other because we don’t operate according to the rules and ways of the world.

Jesus turns our selfish ambition upside-down.

Our Lord understands our sinful nature— but He informs our souls— He challenges us to think like He thinks— to act like He acts. He becomes the example for all of us.

Matthew 20:28 NIV

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.”

Jesus is the greatest example of servant leadership in action. (v.28)

Jesus came to meet our deepest need.

Ransom is the Greek word, lutron.

It is further defined as “the price demanded to free a slave.”

This word is only used in the new testament this time— and once in Mark 10:45 describing the same statement from Jesus.

Philippians 2:5–6 NIV

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

Philippians 2:7–8 NIV

7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

The Father’s Bargain—John Flavel

In the later 1600’s John Flavel wrote this picture of God the Father talking with His dear Son regarding the hopeless and sinless state of humankind. This has come to be known as, “The Father’s Bargain.”

“Here you may suppose the Father to say, when driving his bargain with Christ for you.

“Father: ‘My son, here is a company of

poor miserable souls, that have utterly undone

themselves, and now lie open to my justice! Justice

demands satisfaction for them, or will satisfy itself

in the eternal ruin of them: What shall be done

for these souls?’ And thus Christ returns.

“Son: ‘O my Father, such is my love to, and pity for

them, that rather than they shall perish eternally, I will

be responsible for them as their Surety; bring in all thy

bills, that I may see what they owe thee; Lord, bring

them all in, that there may be no after-reckonings with

them; at my hand shalt thou require it. I will rather

choose to suffer thy wrath than they should suffer it:

upon me, my Father, upon me be all their debt.’

“Father: ‘But, my Son, if thou undertake for them,

thou must reckon to pay the last mite, expect no

abatement; if I spare them, I will not spare thee.’

“Son: ‘Content, Father, let it be so; charge it all

upon me, I am able to discharge it: and though it

prove a kind of undoing to me, though it impoverish

all my riches, empty all my treasures, yet I am content to undertake it.’

An evangelist preacher once was confronted by a young college aged man with the dilemma: “How could 1 man suffering for a few hours on a cross in Jerusalem over 2000 years ago somehow pay for my sins, or the sins of these untold millions of souls that you proclaim he does?

“Sit down my boy- “you want to know how? How?--- well let me tell you that this one man— this one man is more valuable that all of us combined. You want to know HOW? You must realize that this is absolutely possible because even if we were to take all the planets, and stars, mountains and deserts, oceans— everything that has any beauty or substance in this universe— everything that sings or gives life--- and place it on the scale— this one man out weighs it all! He outweighs it all!

This is the one we chase after! This is the one we behold! He drank that Cup for us.

What’s in the cup? The cup contained the wrath of God for our sake. This is the new covenant in my Blood!

A slave who paid the ransom for us with His own life--. He serves us, tenderly washes our feet--- and meets our deepest need.

You want to be great? Let’s follow Jesus’ example.

Now as His people, we live on the line where the Love of Christ and the Pain the world meet. We Shine Jesus’ Light.

John 13:34 NIV

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.