Become a Servant

Introduction

Today we examine a well known passage where a mother asks for her boys to receive a great promotion.

She went to Jesus and asked for her boys to be placed on either side of Him.

Now, this may not seem odd to us. We live in a world where asking to be promoted is normal.

Truth be known, we live in a world where someone who does not seek promotion is looked at as weird or lazy or maybe even that they lack desire.

The problem is that many people are doing a great job where they are and they know if they get promoted they will not be as effective.

For example, the show Blue Bloods with Tom Selleck gives us a perfect illustration of what I am talking about.

In this show one son Jamie, does not seek promotion to any rank over a beat cop.

He is happy where he is because in his position he is on the front lines.

He is on the streets daily making an impact in people’s lives.

He sees any promotion as him abandoning that role and the people.

He knows that to be promoted would be to leave the streets in the way he knows will be more impactful.

He is certainly not lazy, or a bad cop, but a man who firmly believes that in the position he is in he can impact people better and be a better officer.

This can go over to pastors who never leave a small church even though they could go to something bigger and higher paying.

Many pastors only preach at a small church to get a few years and experience so they can move up the chain toward that lofty and respected position of senior pastor of so-and-so mega church down the street.

Many who do this do it not for the impact they can have but for their own lusts, desires, passions, or greed.

Those who do this often do it because they have been trained this is what you do.

Some do it because they still have that corporate mindset within the church.

We see some of this in the section of Scripture we will study today.

In Matt. 20:20-28 we read

Matthew 20:20–28 ESV

20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21 And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 22 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.” 23 He 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.” 24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

In this section we see s few clues of things to avoid and know as we follow Jesus and become a servant.

The first clue to avoid is that we should...

Avoid Foolish Ambition

In verses 20-22 we see that James and John had a desire to become the two prominent disciples.

They were already on the inside as part of the inner three, but they desired to be the inner two.

In Mark’s Gospel we see this narrative in Mark 10:35-45. In Mark’s description he says it was James and John who asked.

He made it clear the request was from these two and not the mother.

Matthew reports the facts and shows how pathetic the request was.

It was bad because the boys had their mother ask rather than themselves asking.

They lumped foolishness upon foolishness.

They did not have the nerve to ask the Lord for their promotion.

They wanted it but had their mom ask for them.

This demonstrates how unqualified for that position they desired they truly were.

There is a hint of faith in this questioning though.

The brothers had faith that Jesus is the King and would soon rule. They were just looking out for their futures, one may say.

But the question is foolish because the brothers had heard Jesus teach on His death to come right before this question was asked.

Maybe they felt that in the coming kingdom they could have these positions as theirs by asking.

Whatever the reasons behind their questioning for this promotion, they should themselves to have a foolish ambition.

How so, other than the parts we have already examined?

They say they are able to drink of the same cup that Jesus was to drink.

This cup is the wrath of God to be poured out on Jesus for our sins so we could have everlasting life with Christ.

These brothers say they are able to drink of this same cup.

Maybe they thought of the cupbearers of the kingdoms around them.

This was the guy who drank from the cup before the king did to ensure it was not poisoned.

Regardless, they were saying they were ready and able to do something they were not ready or able to do.

They were foolish in their saying they would be able to drink of His cup.

Jesus does tell them they will drink of the cup, but that does not mean they are ready or of the right type to sit at His right hand or left.

These brothers no doubt felt they were ready and were able to do this.

The problem with this is, they, like many of us who have boldly said we are ready to do something we were not ready to do, cannot do what we say we can.

Like those who lie on a resume, or beef up a cover letter, or say they can work on things they have no idea about. We may think we can do things but in truth, we are like the disciples here and not ready, yet that is.

This point of the Scripture turns us to the concept of preparation and waiting.

We all desire something in our lives.

We all want something now rather than wait and see if that is what we really need.

We have all been tempted to lie or try to “Fake-it-till-you-make-it” in many areas of life.

The problem with this is that we all get found out sooner or later and then we have more embarrassment than if we would have just said we did not know or were not ready yet.

Many people think they can con people like the character from the movie “Catch Me if You Can.”

In this movie the main character Frank Abagnale, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, is pursued by FBI agent Carl Hanratty, played by Tom Hanks.

In the movie Frank takes on many identities, doctor, pilot, lawyer, among others and cons many people. He is exceptionally good at it but eventually is caught and sentenced to prison.

The movie makes fro some good watching seeing the talent he has in deception, but the truth comes out and he is caught and punished.

That is the same for us, the truth will come out and we will be left standing in shame.

When we follow Jesus for His glory and not our glory, we will see that any time we presume upon Him for a place of stature we are exalting ourselves above what He is doing in and for us.

We will find shame and struggle in that part of life and then wonder why we are suffering because what we desired was for His glory, we told ourselves and convinced ourselves, but in truth it is for our exaltation over His.

Shame comes from us being put in our place just as we see Jesus doing with James and John when he tells them they will drink of His cup, but...

God Does the Placing

In verse 23 Jesus tells the brothers they will drink of the cup, which indicates persecution and struggles.

By studying church history, and the book of Acts, we see that James was the first apostle to die.

James was killed by Herrod Agrippa in AD 41-44 area. Acts 12:1-2

Acts 12:1–2 ESV

1 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword,

Then we know that John was sentenced to Patmos and was an exile for a spell.

Other parts of church history tells us that John was boiled in oil and survived and had other persecutions, but that he died at an old age as the last remaining disciple.

These men drank of the cup but not the same cup Jesus drank of because Jesus had to drink of a particular cup for us to have salvation.

Neither of the brothers were capable or qualified to drink of that cup.

But not only that, Jesus tells them it is not His place to seat anyone on any side of himself.

This is by the Father alone.

As followers of Jesus we must not seek authority and especially not seek authority at the expense of us using false bravado to obtain that standing.

When we strive for that we will insult those around us because we look down on them even if we are not thinking we are.

Look at the other 10 disciples.

What does the text say about them?

It says “they were indignant at the two brothers.” Matt. 20:24

Matthew 20:24 ESV

24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers.

They felt stepped on, cast down, like these two thought they were better than them.

In the Christian community when we seek glory over Christ, which is what these two were doing, we will shatter other people for that glory.

Think about it.

In the work world people do this all the time.

Politicians sling mud and seek to devastate the other opponent or opponent’s so they win.

We work extra hard and seek to show every weak spot of the other employee’s so we can gain a slight advantage to get the promotion.

Some may even go outside the rules and law at times to gain the promotion.

Jesus is telling the disciples and us that the only way anyone gets promoted in this walk and life with Him is by the Father saying so.

We do not earn or inherit this by name or family or even throwing others under the bus.

We get the placing by the Lord when He sees it fit or when the time is right or when the position is open.

This section should remove any thoughts of competition in the Christian walk.

We are not against one another, but are together as a unit.

We all have roles and positions but we are all one together and no one is any greater than the other.

We are not like the military with rank and file.

We do not salute the pastor, professor, or theologian, but we are all on the same plane.

Some in the faith are further along and since they are they should not be on a high horse but should come alongside those behind and help them reach where they are.

This is what Jesus is saying in verse 25 when He said, Matt. 20:25

Matthew 20:25 ESV

25 But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.

We do not exercise authority over one another but we share life together as one unit, one body, one person in the Lord.

Jesus tells us in the final point how we do this.

We do this when we...

Always Have Humility

Here Jesus flips the script and says that all who want to be great must become the least.

You shall become the slave of others to become first.

We must leave the foolish ambitions behind and trust God to place us as He sees fit and have humility.

Humility is critical in our walks with Christ.

If we are to follow Christ we must have humility because humility explicitly states we cannot seek to be the best or the lead because we admit another is greater.

That another is Jesus Christ alone.

He is the greatest and the all-in-all but look what He did.

In verse 28 we read Matt. 20:28

Matthew 20:28 ESV

28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The Son of Man, Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords came to serve and give His life as a ransom for many.

The one who was in the position of full authority and power, came lowly in spirit and dwelt here.

He served many, look at the healings of those unclean he healed.

Look at those he had compassion on.

Look at those he washed the feet of who were self-seeking just like us.

Jesus came and served all who were selfish and all about themselves and did it with Joy.

I know this because in Scripture we read, Heb 12:2

Hebrews 12:2 ESV

2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

He went to the cross with joy for us.

For us who still tend to be self-seeking, glory hungry, greedy, and many other sins.

He did this because He loves us.

Jesus shows us how to become great in the kingdom and that is to despise the shame and look at the joy to come.

When we despise shame we tell it that it is nothing compared to what is coming for us.

We willingly stand back when we could stand forward and exalt ourselves.

We stand back and let another have a shot because we are not in this world for its glories but for the glories of the Lord.

We do not allow the world and its false draws and desires to control us but rather we control the world’s false draws and desires with the power of serving others who are more in need than us.

We give up glories to glorify another.

We stand with the downtrodden against the harsh world.

We stop seeking fame and fortune and set our eyes on true fame and fortune which is with the Lord in glory.

What this means is not that we never go for a promotion at work or try to better ourselves.

No, what this means is that we do not make that the all-in-all of our lives.

We do not seek this glory at the expense of others, including our families.

We do not forsake what we are doing just because we think we deserve better.

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard the phrase, “I deserve better than this.” in counseling.

Maybe so, but that is not a reason to forsake what you have committed to.

We all have challenges before us and battles to fight but when we get to thinking we deserve better, we will begin to get bitter and start looking for shortcuts and slack off on what we are supposed to do.

All discipline goes out the window when we start saying “I deserve Better.”

If that thought hits you, stop and find a way to become a servant to another.

Love them in spite of the pain.

Love them in spite of the fights and struggles.

I listened to a podcast about a couple who were in a bad way.

The husband lied about being a believer when they were married.

He then began to cheat and commit adulterous affair after adulterous affair.

He drank like a fish and was not sober.

He would bring in a six pack while keeping at least three cases in the car.

He was a drunk and adulterer.

The wife felt she deserved better and moved him out for a time.

He “changed,” and she brought him back in.

He had not changed but was the same but a bit better at hiding it.

He was not committing adultery anymore but he was still a drunk hiding drinks.

The wife finally had a break through with the Lord and seeing that her love for him must shine brighter than the battles.

She became a slave to him in that when she found the alcohol he was hiding she just brought it into the garage with the other beer there.

She cooked and cleaned and washed his clothes and loved him and never said another word about the drinking and actions.

She showed him grace and that grace shown brighter to him than anything else.

Her becoming a slave to him and loving him like that hit him hard and he dropped the drinking and began counseling and became a believer.

By becoming a servant to all and loving them above yourself, although completely against what the stupid world says we should do, is what Jesus says we should do and it will change people.

It will impact people and cause them to see something other than what they have always seen.

When we have humility over self-aggrandizing desires and motives, we will then begin to have true promotions and placing in the kingdom of God to come.

Conclusion

With this text we see that service to others is the way of exaltation. We also see that suffering will come to all but that is part of our exaltation in Christ.

Just like James and John suffered the cup we will too.

The deaths of James and John were dramatic answers to Jesus’ question, “Can you drink my cup?” James was first among the apostolic martyrs. His brother outlasted them all and died an exile. Each of their “cups” had its own difficulty. James’s cup came with shocking suddenness; John’s with wearisome waiting. Each drank from Jesus’ cup in his time.

The gift of salvation is priceless and free, but the way of discipleship isn’t painless or easy. Life will test our commitment to Christ. Those closest to us will face their own challenges in following Jesus. Far greater benefit will be gained by encouraging one another than by wondering who will be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Look for a brother or sister in Christ you can encourage today. (Bruce B. Barton, Matthew, Life Application Bible Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1996), 396.)

In following Jesus we come alongside one another and help lift one another up.

We do not seek to lift ourselves up, but only those around us and by doing this we will lift ourselves up because we have become like Christ and become servants to all.

We can do this difficult walk because we have the Spirit in us.

We can’t do it alone but with the Spirit of God in us we can do it and do it with joy and happiness.

Trust the Lord and seek His glory above all things.

By Becoming a Servant we become great in the kingdom of God to come.

So become a servant today to as many as you can and see how the Lord blesses your service and devotion.