The Prayer of an Ambitious Mother

The Prayer of an Ambitious Mother

Many have tended to join with the other ten apostles in an attitude of hostility toward the mother of James and John, because of her preferential consideration of her sons. It is significant to note that while Christ corrected her, he did not berate, criticize, or condemn her.

Let us look at this remarkable mother of two men who were to serve their Lord and their generation in such a manner as to be famous after two millenniums. We should remember that she was not divine. She was imperfect like other mothers. However, there must have been something uniquely different about her, for her two sons were among the first who were selected and who responded to our Lord’s invitation to discipleship ().

I. This mother was a mother of great faith.

A. She had great faith in Jesus Christ or else she would not have made her request for preferential treatment of her sons. It is possible that her faith was colored by the nationalistic and materialistic expectations that were so prominent in the minds of Jewish people in that day and time. Even if this were true, it indicates that she had faith in Jesus Christ.

B. She had faith in the ability and faithfulness of her sons. She had high expectations of them. She believed that they were capable and could be trusted. Modern-day mothers need to have a great faith in the potentiality of their children. Dr. M. E. Dodd said concerning his mother, “My mother had a kingdom in her heart and empires in her imagination when she thought of her children and their potential.”

II. She was a woman of warm devotion.

A. She had a warm love for Jesus Christ that indicated itself in the critical and dangerous time when he was going to the cross. “And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children” (). Her genuine faith and warm love were manifested by her presence at the tomb as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week ().

B. She had a great and exalting love for her sons. We cannot criticize her for this. Instead, she deserves to be commended.

How do you spell the word mother? It has been suggested that the best way to spell mother is L-O-V-E. How do you spell the word love? It has been suggested that the best way to spell love is M-O-T-H-E-R.

III. She was a woman of warm spiritual ambition.

A. She came to Jesus worshiping him.

B. She came to Jesus with a prayer.

C. She listened and learned as much as it was possible for her to grasp at that particular time.

D. She accepted correction from the Christ (). Is ambition for our children sinful? In some instances, the answer would be yes. In other instances, the answer would be no.

If She was thinking only of position, power, and prestige, her ambition was selfish. On the other hand, perhaps she wanted her sons always to be near Jesus Christ. Possibly she sincerely wanted them to be of assistance to him. Perhaps she wanted them to be totally involved in his work in the world.

Jesus proceeded to explain what one must be and do to be great in the kingdom of God (). All would agree that James and John met these conditions.

It is highly possible that She was of great assistance in helping her sons to become the servants of Jesus Christ that they did become.

1. James, the son of Zebedee, her son, became the first of the apostles to experience martyrdom (). Evidently James learned the lesson of humility and self-sacrifice well to have followed his Lord to the point of death.

2. John became the “apostle of love.” He was the apostle to whom our Lord committed the care of his mother while on the cross (). According to the best traditions, John served lovingly, faithfully, and significantly until the last decade of the first century of the Christian era. He spent his last years in the city of Ephesus. From there he was exiled to the island of Patmos where the living Lord gave him the visions recorded in the book we know as Revelation.

Behind these two significant men, we need to recognize a mother who was ambitious for her sons. Likewise, mothers of today should be ambitious for the conversion of their children, for the development of Christian character in their children, and for the entering into of Christian marriages and God-pleasing vocations for their children.

Conclusion

On this Mother’s Day those of us who are husbands and fathers should rededicate ourselves to daily prayer for the mothers of our children. We need to encourage them, express our gratitude for them, and assist them.

On Mother’s Day, each of you who is a mother would do well for yourself and for your children if you would accept your role as a teacher for God. God has blessed you with children that you might disciple them, dedicate them, and discipline them for his glory and for the good of humankind in the world today. If you would be a true teacher for God, you must give yourself to genuine worship of the Lord Jesus Christ. You need to go into the throne room of prayer day by day for wisdom, grace, guidance, and help. You need to have faith in the presence and power and purpose of the Holy Spirit as he works in your own heart and through you to bless your home and your children.