As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him. “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. “What is your request?” he asked. She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.” But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?” “Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!” Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.” When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world Lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind. Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” “Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them. But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord,” they said, “we want to see!” Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him.
Matthew 20:17-34 NLT
Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem to sacrifice His life, yet He was surrounded by blindness. The disciples had walked with Him but were still blind to who He was: the Suffering Servant (see Isaiah 53). James and John wanted to sit in the places of honor—not understanding these places were reserved by God…and full of suffering. To live for God in a world of selfish sin guarantees suffering. James was beheaded by Herod (Acts 12:2), and John was exiled to the island of Patmos (Revelation 1:9). Jesus taught them (and us) that the way of the Kingdom is to serve. Jesus—God incarnate, the King Himself—came to serve. We can NEVER be above Jesus, therefore the HIGHEST role we can have is to serve as Christ did. This requires changing deeply embedded thinking. In the community of those who obey Jesus, we honor those who lead with a servant heart, whose devotion is stronger than their personality, whose love for the least is stronger than their desire for the spotlight.
James and John were blind, wanting power. The other ten disciples were angry because they wanted the same power, position, and prestige; they were just as blind. Jesus was patient with them, knowing most of them would eventually understand. The physically blind men in this story serve to illustrate the blindness of the disciples (and perhaps the readers): they cried out repeatedly for the Lord to heal them. He did, and they walked with Him into the city of His suffering; this was the first thing they saw. There is a warning in these verses: it is possible to walk with Jesus and miss the change that needs to happen in your own life. Don't let that happen to you; don’t be spiritually blind. Our goal—in every area of our lives—is to become like Jesus, with Jesus.
What does it mean to you to be a servant of Christ? How can you serve others without allowing others to take advantage of you?
