The disciples still don't get it. Back in 9:30-32 he told them he must be betrayed and killed and rise again on the third day. V. 32 says they didn't understand him and they were afraid to ask.
Instead, they argue among themselves about who will be the greatest in the Kingdom this King is about to establish. So he calls them and says "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all" (9:35). Still, they don't get it.
They have heard Jesus tell the Rich Young Ruler the way of salvation is to forsake everything and follow him. And they have been astonished at that saying. If wealth is not a sign of God's blessing, then what is? Who can be saved if even the rich and powerful are not assured of God's approval? Yet their leader has assured them with God things are possible that are not possible with men.
So Peter has boldly declared they have met his criteria. They, after all, have followed his advice to the Rich Young Ruler. They have left all and followed him. And Jesus assures them they will receive 100 fold in this life. But he adds the troubling phrase "along with persecutions." Still, the disciples don't get it. They don't get the way of the cross.
He tells them directly. He will be betrayed, mocked, whipped, spat upon, and killed.
And then he will rise again. It is in this way he will enter into his kingdom, into the "glory" that James and John are about to mention.
And they still don't get it. They still don't understand that Jesus has not come to set up an earthly kingdom, to exercise an earthly dominion, to become rich with earthly goods and fat with earthly food. They still don't understand that his kingdom is heavenly. It is eternal. The way to that kingdom is through suffering; and he will pave that way with his own body.
They know nothing of this. They still think of him as a revolutionary, an Ancient Near East freedom fighter leading rebel forces in a military coup against the Roman overlords. They expect a political king of a political kingdom.
So two of them, James and John, come to him almost slyly, hoping to get the jump on the others and secure the positions of highest authority in his kingdom. They come to him, hoping to find in him a king as gullible and foolish as Herod who promised Salome any gift up to half his kingdom. And when she asked for the head of John the Baptist, he gulped and complied. They hope for just such a foolish concession out of their Lord. And that, as much as anything, shows how they do not yet understand who he is.
They seek this concession, saying "We want You to do for us whatever we ask." But Jesus will not be duped. He makes no commitment in replying. He merely says, "What do you want Me to do for you?"
And so they take the plunge: "Grant us that we may sit, one on your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."
Astounding! Have they no clue?
After all he's said, do they still envision him sitting on David's throne ruling a re-united Israel? Do their dreams reach no farther than Jesus leading armies to war against the enemies of Israel and of God, casting out the Roman oppressors who occupy their land, holding political and military sway to the very ends of the earth?
He told them he would only enter glory through suffering. They shrug off the idea of suffering, saying, "OK, when that's over and you get the glory, can we get in on that?"
They want to sit on his right and on his left. They wish to be his chief advisers, his trusted counselors, and the highest placed rulers in his kingdom (aside from Jesus himself). Even with their misunderstanding of the Kingdom of God, their request is bold, it is audacious, it is asking a lot.
And, as Jesus will tell them, their request is totally contrary to the ethics of the kingdom he is establishing. They seek greatness. They seek power. They seek to be elevated above their companions so their companions will serve them. Have they learned nothing from the example of their Lord?
But even before he corrects their
misunderstanding about what constitutes greatness in his kingdom,
he must teach them the nature of that glory and how he will enter
it. He has told them already. And now he must tell them again.
ASKING TO REIGN WITH CHRIST MEANS ASKING TO SUFFER WITH HIM
"You do not know what you ask," Jesus replies (v. 38). He has told them that he will enter his glory through suffering. He has told them, but they have not understood. They think they are asking to share in his glory. He says, don't you know that means asking to share in my suffering?
"Are you able to drink the cup that I drink and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" (v. 38). He is about to drink the cup of God's wrath to the bitter dregs. He is about to be baptized in the judgment of God. God's wrath and curse will come down upon him in full force at the cross. He will hang there in agony, forsaken by his Father. And he will die.
Can you do that too? he asks. You who have sought authority or respect in the Kingdom: can you suffer as Christ has suffered? Can you drink down all the pains and terrors of hell and say, "It is finished?" Can you be baptized as he was baptized? Not at the river Jordan by John the Baptist with a dove descending. Can you be baptized at the cross? Can you feel the judgment waters close over your head as they closed over the heads of sinners outside the ark in Noah's time. Can you bear them closing over your head as the Red Sea over Pharaoh's army? Can you stand to be cut off from God, forsaken by him, because on your head are the sins of the world, and the curse of God is coming down upon you?
If you can, then come and reign with me. Come take up a throne next to mine and we'll rule the new heavens and the new earth together.
No, we cannot bear that judgment of God. Only Christ can. We would be consumed and overwhelmed, dismayed before the wrath of God. And so no one may reign with Christ as James and John were asking to reign - as almost equals, a 2nd and 3rd in command. No, Jesus alone is Lord of all. There is no 2nd or 3rd.
Preposterously, James and John answer, "We are able." Presuming upon their flesh, they say, "Of course we can drink that cup and bear that baptism." How naive; how utterly foolish! Why could they not cry out We are UNable! Oh Lord, make us able! Why could they not admit that they have no way of earning the authority they request? Do they really think they are so strong?
And yet how weak they proved at the end. They fled when the soldiers came and took Jesus away. Only John followed Jesus at a distance; even he was unwilling to suffer with Christ. And so Christ suffered alone. The positions on his right and on his left were occupied, but not by loyal followers, willing to suffer to death with him. The positions were occupied by two thieves, justly crucified for their sins. And these thieves hurled insults at Christ and mocked him.
And the foolish disciples who asked to reign with him were unable to suffer with him.
Yet Christ graciously restores them, even before they knew they would fall away. "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized." They will indeed suffer with Christ and share in his persecution and his agonies on the cross. James will be beheaded by King Herod. John will be exiled to Patmos. And they will be able to bear it. Their Lord and King, their Savior Jesus, he will make them able. Indeed they will then rejoice that they are counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ.
Then they will understand what
Christ means. The position of ruling with him is not something he
can just grant. It is reserved for those for whom it is prepared.
The saying is murky. For whom is that position prepared? We do
not know. But this we can say with confidence: Authority in the
kingdom of Christ is not a favor given to friends and business
associates. And it is not given to those who ask for it. But it
is given to those whom God selects.
THE GREATEST IN THE KINGDOM MUST BE A SERVANT
The other disciples give Jesus a marvelous opportunity for expounding his meaning. They grumble. They are no better than James and John. They don't understand the nature of the kingdom. And so they grumble jealously, "Who do James and John think they are, asking to rule over us like that?"
(An so we see, incidentally, how trouble brews when someone seeks to rule rather than waiting to be asked.)
But Jesus calls them all to himself. He must correct their whole notion of what it means to be great in the kingdom.
He says, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them." It is the way of the world. And since they thought Jesus was establishing an earthly kingdom... well, it was natural they would assume his kingdom would be like the other kingdoms of the world.
In the world, the purpose of gaining authority is to make others do your dirty work. There is nothing sweeter than having an unwanted task come across your desk and passing it on to an underling. It is wonderful to snap your fingers and say, Obey me, for I am in a position where I must be obeyed.
But Jesus says, my kingdom isn't like that.
They should have seen it coming. Didn't he tell the Rich Young Ruler that wealth was nothing, that he, Jesus, was all the treasure anyone needed? In essence, he says, you can't tell who God is blessing by who has the most toys. And now he says, you can't tell who's the authority in the kingdom by looking for someone bellowing commands and forcing his will on others.
Rather, "whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant." Think of it! Be startled by that statement once again. Hear it as they hear it. [Children] You come into a house, looking for the master of the house. You meet a man wearing an apron who is serving dinner to another man seated a fancy table. Having served the dinner, he says "I've polished your shoes, sir, and I've vacuumed the entire upper floor. I'll be washing the dishes now, unless you need me for something else."
And of course you guessed it. The man in the apron is the master of the house. Jesus says, this is the way it's supposed to be among you. Serve each other if you want to be great. If you want to be greater still, don't just be a servant, be a slave. Devote yourself wholeheartedly to the good of your brothers and sisters in Christ. Seek their good unreservedly, ahead of your own.
This is not just a plea to elders and deacons - although certainly it is to you. But it is as well to everyone here who follows Christ and loves him. Serve one another for the sake of Christ.
For Christ has saved the best
observation for last: "For even the Son of Man did not come
to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for
many." Hear that again: "For even the Son of Man did
not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a
ransom for many."
CHRIST HAS SET THE EXAMPLE
Christ himself came to serve. Imagine that! The Lord of all creation did not take on human form so that he could set up a throne and have all mankind flock to him and pay their respects and do all his bidding. Surely he had a right to do this, yet he did not.
Rather, he came for our sakes, that we might live. He gave himself to us utterly. So anyone who wants to be great in the kingdom, must give himself unreservedly to God's people. Elders must not rule as though the people serve them. The elders serve the people, seeking their sanctification and growth in grace, praying for them and with them.
And the deacons serve the people, caring for physical needs.
And you all must serve one another.
Philippians 2:5
In the church, we do not make elders out of those who campaign for the office and request it with the greatest vigor. We make elders when we recognize gifts in a man and see that God has conferred upon him the authority to rule in the church.
How foolish we are if we follow
James and John's example. Shall we come to Christ as they did,
crying "Let me rule in your church! Give me authority
over my brethren. Exalt me to the position of honor"? Those
who come this way do not know what they ask. They seek to rule
the church for their own benefit and honor. They do not know that
asking to rule with Christ in the church on earth is asking for
an extra measure of his sufferings. It is asking, as we shall
see, for the privilege of laying down your life for your
brethren.
CHRIST HAS PROVIDED THE MOTIVATION
If Christ has done this for me and he calls me to do this for others, how can I desire otherwise.
How foolish are those who come seeking that authority. Do they not come as James and John, foolishly confident that "they are able"? Do they not say, "I have so much to offer the church, I have so many good ideas, my head is filled with knowledge and I know that things will work out well if we just follow my plans." And they are warned, "The eldership is difficult and wearying. It is a different sort of joy than you suppose." And they give lip service to that, "Yes, of course, I understand." But their thoughts have already moved on to how smoothly the church will run when their plans are carried out. And how important they will feel when people come to ask their advice. And what fun it will be to exercise the power of the keys, admitting some to the kingdom, sending others away.
Such people do not have a sufficient motivation for entering the eldership. The only sufficient motivation is: Christ laid down his life for me; I want to lay down my life for others.
And so with the deacons as well, serving the temporal and physical needs of the saints as well.
And so to everyone, we must say,
"Yes, let me be like Christ. Let me seek to serve the
brethren as fully as he did."
CHRIST HAS GIVEN THE POWER
Are you able?
No one who seeks authority in the kingdom will be granted that authority. But we seek God to grant the position of leadership to those whom he wishes; and to make them fit for that task. This we trust him to do. And we rejoice when he raises up elders. And we don't worry, saying "But he hasn't raised up ME. And I'm so capable."
Those who rule in the kingdom must be willing to suffer as Christ suffered, even to the point of death.
And they must share in that suffering spiritually speaking as well. That is they must daily count themselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. They must believe with all their hearts that they are dead to sin, and, believing, they must not offer up the members of their bodies and instruments of unrighteousness. They must daily set an example before the people, sharing in Christ's death to sin and walking in a new life in Christ.
Are you able?
Do not be a fool and answer yes as James and John did. Yet here is no message of despair. For Christ is able. Christ has died to sin. Christ has risen again to a new life. Christ has entered into glory. Here is your help. Here is your ability. Here is your power. May Christ dwell in you by faith. May you believe by faith that what is true of him is true of you. You are dead to sin, alive to God.
You elders, never think that you are able. But turn to Christ daily, casting yourselves upon him in prayer, and rejoicing in his perfect sufficiency. He does not need your help to rule his kingdom, as though his authority is incomplete. But he will rule through you, making you sufficient for every task to which he calls you.
May Christ fill you with his humility, his patience, and his love. May his wisdom as well be yours so that you rule not according to your own thoughts but only according to the word of God.
You deacons, never think that you are able. Only Christ is able. May he make you a good servant of your brethren.
You others. Set yourselves to following Christ. Seek the way of the cross, being willing even to die for your brethren as Christ died for you.