Mark 10: 35-40 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 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.”
We read this exchange of words immediately after Jesus describes his approaching betrayal, condemnation, mockery, suffering, and death. James and John have seemingly skipped over all this and tuned into his final words: Three days later he will rise. They see Jesus seated in heavenly places on a throne of authority, and if they are not going to rule in this life, they want a place of importance in the life that is to come. So they ask the Lord the type of question a child might ask a parent, a trick question because they want to ensure a positive answer: Can we have whatever we ask from you? Knowing their hearts, Jesus asks them what they want, and they selfishly reply, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” Understanding their ignorance of what they ask of him, Jesus tells them they do not know what this request means. He asks: “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” Without hesitation or thought, they answer, "We can." Jesus goes on to tell them that they will indeed drink of the cup He drinks and participate in the same baptism He is baptized with, but He knows they do not comprehend the reality of those words. James and John are thinking of themselves, not the death of their Lord. Their quick agreement to drink his cup and follow him in baptism show their ignorance of what lies ahead. Soon a detachment of soldiers with their commander and Jewish officials will come to arrest Jesus, and the disciples will run away. Peter will want to defend Jesus, but when he takes his small sword and strikes the ear of the high priest's servant, Jesus says, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” (John 18:11) The time has come for Jesus to drink the cup of suffering and journey to the cross. He has chosen those He would want to follow him, but can they drink this cup; can they face this baptism?
Many times people make promises to God when they want something from him. We are prone to call upon the name of the Lord in times of trouble, in the midst of a crisis. Fortunately for us, God loves us! The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. (Psalm 145:8-9) We often hear the term foxhole conversions, describing when a person is ready to die, and calls upon the name of the Lord for salvation. God saves the person; but when the pressure is off, and everything is back to normal, the person forgets about his promise to God. Here is a good question: Was the salvation real? Yes, the Bible says, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) When the person in trouble calls upon the Lord, God answers, and if the sinner repents, God forgives his/her sins. The Holy Spirit comes and enters the temple and cleanses the person from all sin. That individual is free from sin and justified before God, but what comes next is up to the new creature in Christ. We all have free will, just as the disciples had free will to follow Jesus to the cross or to run in fear from what they did not understand. Ignorance is a scary thing and it keeps many young believers from growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord. We all need to pray, to read the word, to spend time alone with God, and to fellowship with other believers. This is like giving water and sunshine to a plant, so it will grow and become strong and healthy. Put a plant in a dark room with no water, and it dies. Take a new Christian or an old one away from nourishment, and they wither and dry up spiritually. Psalm 89:15 says, Blessed are those who walk in the light of your presence. We read in the New Testament: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:7) Walking with Jesus brings us into fellowship with other believers, and we bring ourselves to the cross daily to find renewal and strength to grow in our relationship with the Lord.
As with James and John, our eyes wander sometimes, and we look to rule and reign when the Lord is calling us to serve. We know Jesus came to seek sinners and to serve the church, doing the perfect will of his Father in heaven. One day after Jesus described the failings of the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, how they did everything so people would see them, He told his disciples, "The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (Matthew 23:11-12) James and John should have listened more carefully to their Lord's teaching, paying better attention to the One they followed. He was a servant to all. He met the needs of the downhearted, the poor, the sick, the hungry. He was moved with compassion when He looked over Jerusalem. His heart was for the people, and He was willing to drink the cup, to accept the baptism of death. He put his trust in his heavenly Father; and as an example to all, He prayed, "Not my will but yours be done." Peter wrote to the church: Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4:10) How can we not serve when our Lord was the Great Servant? He says to each of us yet today: "Here I am, daughters and sons, I love you. I am here to serve you. I am here to change your lives, to bring you into the household of faith. Come home today to the family of God!" We do not know or care who will sit at the right or left hand of Jesus because we will be there in the blood-washed throng, praising his name forever. We are thankful that we know at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8) Blessed be the name of the Lord! Praise him today dearly beloved of God!
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